Sonic: Year One The Guardian
by Joe Stalin
Summary: Part 3 of the Sonic: Year One series. Sonic & Tails journey to the mysterious Floating Island, where an old friend of Sonic's is waiting. Are our heroes in over their heads as they enter The Guardians domain? Featuring the first appearance of Knuckles!
1. Weeks End

Greetings yall! Joe Stalin here, bringing you the third addition to his new Sonic story series...'**Sonic: Year One**'!

_'New Surroundings' _last time dealt with Tails & Sonic's burgeoning friendship the morning after their first meeting. Now its time to see if that friendship will survive the test, as the dynamic duo enter...The Guardians domain!

Yes, its time for everyone's favourite Rad Red Echidna to make his appearance! What new mysteries await on the fabled Floating Island, and how well does Tails really know Sonic?

**Note: **To get the full story behind this new series, please read '**_The Fox, The Gem and The Hedgehog_**' and _**'New Surroundings'**_ first.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Sonic or any other SEGA characters, this fic is written purely for enjoyment.

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><p><strong><span>Sonic: Year One<span>**

**The Guardian**

This is the story of a hedgehog, a guardian and a floating island.

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><p><strong>WEEKS END<strong>

Miles Prower was a low-life. He was a heartless con-artist, a scoundrel, a liar, a thief and a cheat. He hurt everyone he came into contact with and was unloved and despised by everyone in turn.

Miles Prower died the night I met Sonic the Hedgehog.

Now I'm Tails, just Tails. My old life ended in the most bizarre of circumstances, the events of which I still struggle to believe to this day.

I still don't really know why he did it. Why he picked me of all people to be his friend, his partner, his 'little buddy'. If I had been in his place I wouldn't have picked me. Why would anyone have picked me? What use could I possibly be to him, a hero who risked his life on a daily basis saving the world? I was just a common thief, I should have been nothing to him.

But Sonic was different, so very different from everyone else in my life, my old life at least. Sonic didn't care what I was, what I used to be. He only saw what I could be. What I am today, because of him. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

My first week with Sonic wasn't as chaotic, as surreal as the night we first crossed paths, not at first anyway. I hesitate to call it 'normal' exactly, at least not what other people would call normal. But it was my first taste of a new life, a new start, a new opportunity to start afresh. To prove that I could be more than just a conman, that I could finally just be me. It was also the last week where my life had any sense of normality about it.

If I had thought I knew everything about the world around me prior to meeting Sonic, the events of that first week made me come to the conclusion...that I really didn't know anything at all.

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><p>My eyes couldn't help but keep falling down to admire my reflection in the glossy red heels of my sneakers. Childish I know, but I really did like those shoes.<p>

My tattered evening suit had been discarded long ago, no amount of scrubbing was going to get out the mix of robot oil and chili sauce they'd been subjected to. It was almost cathartic, as if I was throwing away the last shreds of my old life. The new outfit Sonic had presented me with had initially made me balk, but I was slowly getting used to it.

Thick white gloves enclosed my hands, similar to the ones Sonic wore but with leather buckles round the wrists. My upper body was bare save my fur, a beige pair of cargo shorts fitted snug round my waist, determined I was not to copy my new friends minimalist attitude to clothing.

A pair of aviator goggles completed my new attire. I'd found them randomly in one of the piles of junk slowly engulfing Sonic's living room, and had taken an odd sort of liking to them. I'd never been one for random accessories, but I couldn't deny that they just seemed to 'fit'.

I remember looking in the mirror the first time I'd worn my new clothes and doing a double-take. The fox in the reflection seemed younger, healthier...happier. I liked my reflection for the first time in my life, because finally it was the real me staring back.

Sonic's room was now my room. There had been no discussion, he'd just given it to me. It still felt kind of wrong, as if I'd invaded his personal space where I had no business being in. He'd just laughed when I'd voiced my concern.

"What kind of lousy host would I be if I made you sleep on the floor? That's where dogs sleep buddy, not foxes"

I still felt bad about the whole thing, I'd even offered to pay him as some kind of rent. Not that I had anything to pay him with, but I felt that I had to at least make the offer. The look he'd given me was priceless, mock anger and indignation as if I'd slapped him in the face or dyed his fur a different shade of blue.

"Money? What on Mobius would I do with that stuff?" he'd bristled, and there was no more discussion of the matter. I wasn't sure even now if he was being serious or not. Judging by his surroundings though, Sonic and money didn't seem to have a consistent relationship together.

Sonic's place was situated in a corner of forest greener than any dollar bill I'd ever wrangled from someone's pocket. No wonder it was called 'Green Hill Zone', you couldn't get away from it! Green grass, green leaves on the huge trees that to look fully up at required you to crane your neck to impossible lengths, green everything! Sonic's blue hue was a welcome relief within this alien landscape, so used was I to grey buildings, glass and tarmac.

It was so natural out here, so remote that I almost felt as if I'd entered a whole other world. No other buildings, no roads, no hustle and bustle of any kind. Just the calls of distant flickies and the crisp sound of grass underfoot.

The house itself was bigger than I'd initially thought. Two stories high, it was built on top of a slight mound of earth that was slowly reclaiming the foundation. One wall had surrendered itself to moss and tangled vines, the roof speckled with fallen branches and leaves. There were actually two separate buildings, what I took to be a large garage built round the back. A heavy looking metal bay door hid whatever was inside. My curiosity peaked, I went over to explore and was immediately restrained by the blue hedgehog.

"Uh-uh. No peeking, that's a surprise" he winked as he led me away, still looking back at the garage/hangar and wondering just what exactly it was my new friend was hiding from me.

Sonic had taken me exploring my new surroundings that very first day, on the pretense of breaking in my new sneakers. I took silent amusement in his eagerness to highlight and point out every little thing of interest, his childish delight rubbing off on me as I took in the new sights and smells. I couldn't help but be awestruck at the size of some of the trees, their canopies casting thick shadows as we walked further into the shrubbery.

We stepped into what I assumed was a small glade, a dazzling pool of water in the centre catching my attention instantly. The crystal clear water sparkled in the bright sunlight, not a shrub or lily-pad marring its brilliance. Sonic cleared his throat as he caught my staring.

"It's a Ring Pool. Really rare, you have to know where to find them"

I don't know why I was so enthralled in what was basically just a pool of water, but I couldn't tear my eyes away. I bent my knees and bobbed on my heels as Sonic continued his narration.

"There's an old legend that the ring pools create Power Rings. They're supposed to have magical powers, able to grant your deepest wish, wisdom and insight. If you belief that kind of thing"

Magic rings, huh? Sure, why not. On the list of strange and bizarre things I'd come across recently, magic wish rings were surprisingly low. Miles would never have believed something so childish, so stupid. But Tails was open to new ideas, new mysteries to explore.

A magic ring didn't appear as we left the Ring Pool behind, another mystery for another day. We made our way back to the house, Sonic bending down briefly to pick a flower which he held against his nose for the duration of the walk. My own nose wrinkled as I became aware of the vast amount of pollen rapidly invading my senses. I'd had extremely bad bouts of hay-fever as a kid, and that familiar prickling in my sinuses was beginning to creep up on me.

I still had questions for Sonic which I was eager to have answered. He was still an enigma to me, a strange creature that could have stepped out of a kids fantasy book who was now walking at my side sniffing a pollen encrusted flower. How could someone be so carefree, so at peace with his surroundings whilst at the same time seem to have the weight of the world on his shoulders?

He looked at me with one eye half-lidded "Something on your mind, Tails?"

I looked away sharply. I'd been staring and it had been oh so obvious. I was really bad at this whole 'interacting' thing when I wasn't acting, wasn't putting on a front. My con-artists handbook didn't help much when I was trying to be a real person for the first time in my life, and there were several awkward seconds of silence before I found my voice again to answer.

"How...how do you do it Sonic? How can you act the way you do?" I put my hands in my pockets to prevent them from wringing in embarrassment.

He looked at me with a raised brow "Erm...not sure what you mean buddy. Want to run that by me again in English?"

I ran my next sentence through my head several times before I answered "I mean...you're this big hero of the world, you save the day and all that good stuff. Ad yet you act so...normal. I don't get it"

He smiled at me and shrugged his shoulders "Not much to get really, pal. I don't pretend to be all 'deep' and brooding, I'm just me"

He stepped in front of me and flashed a pose, one thumb jabbed towards him and that cocky grin spread across his face "Sonic the Hedgehog, what you see is what you get"

Exhibitionist. That was the word that came to mind as he stood there in his heroic pose, in the middle of a forest. And that was who he was, exactly as he'd said it. Sonic. Just Sonic.

I sighed and shook my head "I'm sorry Sonic. It's just that I'm not used to...this. To any of this" I lifted my hands up to illustrate my point.

He looked round and tilted his head at me in puzzlement "What, green stuff?"

I face-palmed, and bit my lip. I wanted to be serious "You know what I mean. This life you have, the amazing things you do. I guess...I'm just struggling to understand why you picked me of all people to be a part of it"

His smile wavered slightly as I found myself rubbing my arm, eyes downcast as I bared my soul to him.

"You've treated me better than anyone else in my whole life, you've given me a place to stay, fed me, heck you've even clothed me!" I pointed at my sneakers. "You've shown me all this cool stuff, and what I want to know...is why? I don't deserve your kindness Sonic. If the shoe was on the other foot, I wouldn't have given you the time of day"

I looked back up at him to read his reaction "Why are you so...nice?"

He folded his arms and looked at me intensely, emerald eyes sparkling with the same fire I'd seen the night in Pickles' mansion.

"Because I can be"

Such a simple answer, but it answered all my questions right there and then. Why did he choose me? Because he could. Why did he do the things he did? Because he could. Why was he so complex? Because he could be. That was Sonic.

He let out a huge exhale of breath and the smile returned to his face "Now, if we're done with all the soap-opera stuff, lets get back home. There's still plenty of stuff to see out here"

I followed at his side as we continued on, all questions answered for now. I was determined that our relationship wasn't going to be one long circle of questions and doubt. I wanted a fresh start, and that was going to begin with trust. I had to trust that he was genuine. It was getting easier the longer I was in his presence.

He still had that flower he'd picked from before, only now it was placed behind his ear with his arms clasped behind him. I kept my arms in my pockets, twin tails swaying behind me in the quiet breeze. My nose was really starting to itch, old memories of streaming eyes and mountains of tissues rearing their ugly head. I doubted I'd find any tissues in the mountain of junk back home, which only seemed to speed up the mucus flow.

My thoughts were cut short as an explosion of noise caused my ears to jolt erect, fur bristling as my eardrums rang in pain. Sonic stared back at me, gloved hands pressed to his face muffling his voice.

"Sorry about that. Pollen gets everywhere out here" he sniffed, discarding the flower from behind his ear with a look of disdain.

I laughed, probably the hardest I'd ever laughed in as long as I could remember. Sonic looked sheepishly at me as I doubled over, tears threatening to blur my eyes as I struggled to breath. My laughter didn't cease as we made our way back to the house, all past concerns long forgotten about.

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><p>The first week past by relatively slowly. If I'd expected Sonic's life to be one non-stop adventure, dashing from one exotic place to another, I was sorely disappointed. I guess Egg-head or whatever he was called was busy doing un-evil things. Or whatever megalomaniacs did on their days off.<p>

I spent my days instead exploring, taking in my new sites both inside and outside. And cleaning. Lots and lots of cleaning.

I had decided very early on that I wasn't going to live in a mountain of junk, for my own sanity's sake if nothing else. I therefore endeavored to do what I could to return Sonic's place to some semblance of normality. A thankless task, in retrospect.

I'd asked him the reason why there was so much junk around the place, what the significance of it was. Heck, I was still new to this whole hero thing. Maybe there was a reasonable explanation, some deeper meaning or method to his madness.

Nope. He was just untidy, he'd said. Amazingly untidy, and lazy with it. No wonder he enjoyed the great outdoors so much, any excuse to avoid cleaning up around the house.

I set to work downstairs, and lets just say my white gloves weren't so white by the time I gave up. I put a good few hours a day to my task at hand, and by the time I finished I was convinced that all I'd managed to achieve was simply moving the mess around. It was everywhere! Books, newspapers, crockery, bits of machinery, wiring, power tools. You name it, I stubbed my toe on it.

I couldn't help but be intrigued by some of it though. When I was younger I'd always had a fascination with building things, taking old bits of rubbish and putting them together to make something which I could be proud of. That had been quickly stamped out of me though, the other kids hadn't exactly shared my worldview and had taken great pleasure in destroying what I created. After a while, and countless tears, I'd just given up trying. Why give them more excuses to harass me? They already had enough.

Still, as I tried to sort out what could be binned and what could possibly be salvaged, I found myself setting several things aside. A bit of metal here, a few wires and insulation tape there. I didn't know what I planned to do with them, but the more I tried to clean the more bit and pieces which ended up in my pockets. I emptied out a draw and put my keepsakes inside, something to come back to if I ever got the urge.

Sonic didn't help all throughout much to my chagrin, the blare of his guitar pounding through the walls as he occupied himself in the other room. He at least had the courtesy to stop playing as I made a start on that room, munching away on a left-over hot dog as he watched me. I made a beeline for the table which the radio was placed on, removing the dust covered blanket and almost choking on the dust-cloud which resulted. Sonic chuckled as he polished off his dog and walked out, leaving me to my work.

I intended to use the blanket to wipe down the radio-set, but something immediately caught my eye which I hadn't noticed before. In between the speakers was a slip of paper, a single worn corner jutting out. I took it in-between my fingers and removed it.

It was a photograph, worn and faded with a large crease in the right hand corner. It was taken at an angle, slightly blurred as if the person who took it had unsteady hands. It showed Sonic, a lot younger judging by the length of his quills and his height, and another person. I was immediately taken aback by the colour of the other figures fur- bright red, which was in stark contrast to the cobalt blue of the hedgehog beside him.

The colour of the guys fur wasn't the only thing that caught my eye. Long dreadlocks hung down past his shoulders, a studded white fist held in front of him with his thumb up. His other arm was around Sonic's shoulders, holding him tight almost in an embrace. Both of them were smiling, like they didn't have a care in the world.

My examining was interrupted suddenly when the photo was snatched from my fingertips. Sonic glared at me, brow furrowed as he swiped the photo from me. I hadn't even heard him come in.

I scrambled for an apology as he looked at me then the photo in turn "I'm...I'm sorry Sonic. I didn't mean to...I should have asked before..."

"Don't" he replied curtly, shocking me into silence. He sighed softly, almost under his breath as he seemed to forget I was there, looking at the photograph with an almost haunted look in his eyes.

"Don't apologize Tails" he looked back at me and placed a hand on my shoulder. "I'm the one who should be sorry. I shouldn't have snapped, you didn't do anything wrong"

I just nodded as he gave my shoulder a reassuring squeeze before putting the photo down on the table. I pointed at it as he used his index finger to carefully smooth out the crease. My interest was now peaked all the more from his reaction.

"Who is he? You look like you were pretty close"

He didn't answer straight away, just hummed under his breath as he picked the photo back up and held it up to the light.

"Long time ago now...5 years...been a while buddy" he muttered under his breath, my ears straining to pick up each word being spoken as I'm sure he wasn't addressing it to me.

"Sonic?" I tried to get his attention, his eyes snapping back to me like he'd just come out of a trance. He cleared his throat and lowered the photo, a weak smile on his lips.

"Sorry Tails. He's a...was a...is...a friend" he handed the photo back to me, giving me permission to look.

A friend? Why hadn't he mentioned that before? From what he'd said to me the first time we'd met I'd assumed he was the same as me. An outcast, alone in the world until we met each other. Yet the evidence in my hand suggested otherwise. So why the weird reaction? Why the haunted look? What was my blue friend hiding from me?

"Does he have a name?" I asked, pointing to the dread-locked figure in the picture. Sonic chewed his bottom lip for a few seconds, as if mulling over just how much he wanted to let me know.

"Plenty, at least that's what it used to be like" he replied, confusing me all the more.

The blue hedgehog started counting off on his fingers "Rad Red, Knucklehead, Knux, K-Man, I knew him by all those names. But that was...a long time ago now" he finished the sentence with a twinge of sadness in his voice.

I just looked at him in puzzlement, that last answer not really answering my question at all "Meaning?"

I never got to find out how he would have answered that last question. There was a sudden crackle of static that filled the room, the pair of us looking round for its source. It didn't take us long to zone in on where it was coming from. The radio-set.

Sonic was a blur as he grabbed the speakers and plugged them in, fingers frantically twisting every knob on the contraption as the static continued to crackle. I watched in bemusement as Sonic flicked over every switch in turn, dust particles shimmering in the light. Snapping on the headphones, a swift punch on the main speaker broke the white-noise and a faint voice could be heard. I moved over cautiously as Sonic strained to hear, face furrowed in concentration.

"...Sonic? Sonic, you there?" came the reply, faint and echoing with static. Sonic twisted a dial which seemed to help.

"I hear you. Speak up a bit, you're really faint" he replied, speaking into a smaller speaker which he had clasped tightly in his hands.

"Is that better?" my ears hurt as the voice came out several decibels higher than comfortable. Sonic lifted one of the headphones and rubbed his ear with a grimace.

"Much"

The voice continued much clearer now, the static all but gone as it filled the room "Good. I'm surprised this heap of junk still works"

I was struggling to read Sonic's expression as he cradled the speaker in his hands gently. His eyes were almost twinkling, a warm smile slowly creeping on his face.

"It's been a while buddy" he said, his voice soft and hesitant. "I was beginning to think you'd forgotten about me"

I stood at his side as the response came through after a brief pause, still clutching the photograph in my hand. I had no idea what was going on, but I was intrigued to find out.

"Listen Sonic...I need you down here. Now"

I watched Sonic's eyes widen, letting go of the speaker with one hand as he fumbled under the desk "Just...just give me a second. I need to find the map"

My fur ruffled as Sonic sped past me into the living-room. Loud bangs and crashes from the other room caused my ears to wilt, all my hard work for naught as the blue hedgehog looked for his 'map'. He returned in a blur of quills, a large rolled up parchment under his arm. He reached over and pulled the speaker off the table, unraveling the parchment and spreading it out on the floor. I stumbled backwards as he rolled it over my shoes, looking down at what he'd revealed. It was a large map of the world, the colours faded from age and the material frayed and tatty. Sonic took his finger and placed it in the middle of the map, mouthing to himself with his eyes half-lidded in concentration.

I couldn't make out a word he was saying as he slowly traced his finger along the map, every once in a while twirling it a full 360 degrees and moving with no apparent pattern.

"Aha!" he exclaimed, catching me by surprise as he jabbed his finger on the map. I craned my neck to see what he was pointing it, but all I could see was blue water. What was there that was so exciting?

Sonic picked up the speaker from the floor "I know where you are. Give me an hour, tops. I'll be there"

"I'll be waiting" came the reply, and the speaker went dead.

I watched as Sonic rolled the map back up, tucking it back under his arm. He jumped to his feet and looked at me with a grin so big I swear it was going to fall off his face.

"Tails?"

I couldn't understand his excitement. He was practically shivering with giddiness, like a kid on his birthday "Yeah Sonic?"

He stepped right up close to me and placed his hands on my shoulders. His eyes twinkled with glee.

"We're going on a trip, little buddy!"

I managed a smile of my own, his mood was infectious despite the fact I had no idea what was going on "Where to?"

He took the picture from my hand and held it between thumb and forefinger. Both Sonic's grinned back at me.

"We're gonna see The Guardian!"

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><p><strong>Next time in Sonic: Year One- Tails finds himself in the centre of The Guardians domain. What does this old friend want with Sonic, and what dark secret is the Floating Island<strong> **hiding? **

**See you next time guys! Don't forget to review! Joe.  
><strong>


	2. A Floating Kingdom

Greetings yall! Joe Stalin here, bringing you Part 2 of **'The Guardian'**!

Sonic has been summoned to The Floating Island. With Tails in tow, what mysteries and threats await them, and how will the two-tailed fox handle it all?

**Note: **To get the full story behind this new series, please read '**_The Fox, The Gem and The Hedgehog_**' and _**'New Surroundings'**_ first.

**Disclaimer:** I do not, nor will I ever, own Sonic or any other SEGA characters. This fic is written purely for enjoyment.

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><p><strong><span>Sonic: Year One<span>**

**The Guardian**

**A FLOATING KINGDOM**

I felt my arm almost being pulled from its socket, feet skittering on the floor as I was dragged from the room. Sonic's hold on my hand was like a vice, my fingers twitching vainly in his death grip as he pulled me along, a spring in his step that sent jolts running up into my shoulder. I felt fresh bruises begin to form on my legs as I bumped into everything along the way, cursing my friends untidiness.

"Preparation!" he suddenly quipped, screeching to a halt in the doorway and causing me to slam into his back with a huff. How I managed not to slice myself apart on those sharp quills of his I'll never know."Preparation is the key!"

His grip on my hand was relinquished as he bolted back into the house, leaving me to nurse my sore fingers as more crashes and bangs echoed from the living room. As I felt blood rushing back into my palm I made a note not to bother resuming my cleaning. Somehow I doubted it would be worth the effort, as an empty tin rolled across the floor and tapped my shoe. With a sigh I kicked it aside, leaning against the door-frame with my arms folded as an almighty bang from somewhere inside caused me to wince. Something had broken, and I wasn't going to clean it up.

A rush of air signaled Sonic's return, my fur ruffling as I unfolded my arms. The blue hedgehog was now wearing a pair of black sun glasses that reflected my image back at me. He lowered them down the bridge of his nose with a finger, his other hand against his hip in a pose that I'm sure was practiced. Man this guy liked posing!

"Can't go where we're going without these" he tapped the shades before pushing them back up over his eyes, gripping my hand again as he resumed his enthusiastic dragging.

"And...when exactly are you going to tell me where that is?" I asked in a tone I hoped didn't sound as irritated as I felt. I didn't like being dragged about, my fingers going numb as Sonic turned his head back to me without stopping.

"Now where's the fun in that?" he smirked, the corners of his shades catching the light as he flashed his teeth. "You seriously want me to spoil the surprise?"

At that moment I didn't really care what he did, as long as he just let go of my hand before he crushed it out of shape. He just shook his head and gave a little chuckle.

"You kids these days, no patience"

That remark caused me to dig my heels into the ground, trying to slow him down if only a little. He didn't seem to notice as I almost tripped, my petulant little gesture just causing me to look like an idiot as I stumbled behind him, dignity in tatters. My growl of annoyance seemed to pass the blue hedgehog by, my twin tails wringing in anger as I made an effort to keep up the pace.

We made our way round the back of the house, towards the thing which I assumed was a garage. His hand finally let go of mine as he span round on his heels, pointing his index fingers at me.

"Tails," he took a big intake of breath, milking the moment. "Get ready to be surprised"

He turned his back to me and walked over to the metal bay door, bending his knees to grip underneath it with both hands as his tail wagged excitedly. I just stood there, not sure what to expect. I was beginning to find that when hanging around Sonic, expecting the unexpected was the normal way of doing things.

With a grunt the blue hedgehog lifted up the bay door, the metal creaking in protest as he flipped it over his head, metal supports coming down to keep it open. Inky blackness was the only thing I could see for a few seconds, the suns rays struggling to penetrate through the gloom. But as the first beams of sunlight began to seep inside, I got my first look at what it was Sonic had been hiding from me up to this moment.

My jaw dropped. I actually jaw-dropped, and Sonic's grin only widened as he saw my response to what he'd just revealed to me.

It wasn't a garage, I'd been way off the mark. It was a hangar, a shelter for the crimson red bi-plane now revealed in all its glory.

It's big silver propeller was dazzling as it caught the light, its paintwork unmarked and gleaming as my eyes roamed over it. It was a two-seater, twin orange chairs poking out from the cockpit and passenger compartment. It's tail rudder was barely an inch from kissing the ceiling, a giant letter 'T' daubed on with what looked to be yellow spray paint. Two wooden chocks were pressed under the black tires, the floor beneath only slightly covered in oil stains that had long since dried up. It's wings were big enough for me to sit on, polished to perfection without so much as a scratch in sight.

My heart hammered in my chest, my throat suddenly very dry as my eyes snapped between Sonic's grinning face and the beautiful plane. I stepped closer to it, my fingers trembling as I stretched out my arm towards it, almost expecting it to vanish in a puff of smoke. I noticed what I was doing and lowered my limb quickly in embarrassment, clearing my throat as I tried to take this in my stride. I'd had teeth pulled out that had been an easier challenge.

"You...have a bi-plane" I finally managed to say, folding my arms to try to accentuate my cool-headed reaction.

Sonic just nodded, not buying my act for a second "I have a bi-plane"

"Why do you have a bi-plane?" I tried to keep my eyes on him, yet all the while my head was twitching in the planes direction, tails wringing behind me.

The blue hedgehog just raised an eyebrow and shrugged his shoulders, stepping up to my side "Why shouldn't I have a bi-plane?"

My fur bristled as he lay an arm round my shoulder, turning me back to face this amazing plane that demanded my full attention.

"No reason," I answered, trying to keep up the conversation as my hands unfolded themselves and my fingers caressed over the propeller. "It's just that normal people...don't usually have...bi-planes"

I realized how stupid that sounded before it had even left my mouth, but my mind was just a blur as I drank in every detail of this feat of engineering sparkling under my glove.

Sonic's chuckle caused me to blush, squeezing my shoulder as he leaned closer to my ear "You'll find, in time, that I'm not exactly what most people would call...normal"

That statement was as obvious as the blue on his fur, but I just nodded slowly as he removed his arm from my shoulders.

"Hence, the bi-plane!" he lifted his arms up in a 'ta-da' gesture, before hopping onto one of the wings. "Besides, who'd be normal? That's dull. I hate dull"

I really hoped his sneakers were clean as I watched him walk up and down the wing, lifting my eyes up as he continued talking.

"This..." he tapped his foot on the metal wing tenderly. "Is 'The Tornado'. She gets me from A to B, very handy I find when I'm just not in the mood to run..."

I almost snorted at that. My short time with Sonic had made me come to the conclusion that the blue hedgehog would _never_ not be in the mood to run.

"She's sturdy, reliable, and she doesn't eat me out of house and home" he jumped off the wing with a flourish, taking off his shades and looking at me expectantly.

"So...what do you think?"

I thought long and hard about my response, _really_ long and hard. There were no words to describe how my mind had been blown, how the sight of that fantastic plane made the little builder in me want to leap out of my chest with joy. At the same time, I didn't want to be reduced to a gibbering wreck in front of Sonic. I still wanted to keep my cool head, despite the sheer effort of forcing myself not to jump into the pilots seat and start playing with the controls. I looked at his impish face and tried to hold back a laugh as he almost tingled with excitement for my answer.

"It's...it's good" I stammered, nodding my head and folding my arms in what I hoped was a nonchalant gesture. "I'm really impressed, Sonic"

He just stared at me and blinked, tilting his head slightly as I waited for his reaction to my response.

"Huh," he finally said, patting the planes wing and looking at it over his shoulder with a smile "You hear that, old girl? Tails is impressed. Well done"

I smiled with relief as I knew I'd said the right thing, watching as Sonic put his shades back on and hopped back up onto the wing.

"Well, now that the introductions are out of the way, lets get started. Tails, be a sport and release the chocks"

I nodded at him and bent my knees to attend to my task as the hedgehog hopped into the cockpit. I removed the first wedge of wood with a little jerk, the slight squeak of rubber making me shiver as the plane moved barely an inch. The second one took slightly more effort as The Tornado's weight pressed down on it, jerking and teasing it loose before it finally came unstuck. I picked them both up and put them aside as I turned back to watch what Sonic was doing.

His fingers were a blur as he flicked over each switch in turn, powering the plane up as he tested the flaps on each wing. They made little creaks as they were first lifted then lowered, my eyes watching every movement as Sonic brought 'The Tornado' to life.

My heart began its heavy beat once again as Sonic flashed me a toothy grin, grabbing the joystick with one hand.

"This is the part I really like" he said as he looked down, flicking a final switch.

I swear my heart did a somersault in my chest as the propeller began to turn, slowly revving up as the engine began to purr. Thin plumes of white smoke began to waft from the exposed portion of the engine, whipped up by the churning propeller as the purr became a roar. The entire plane shuddered as the power increased, getting louder and louder by the second. The propeller was soon a blur as it revved up to its full speed, the noise reverberating inside the hangar causing my ears to pin themselves down, my tails almost standing on end from the excitement.

Sonic's grin looked like it was frozen on his face as he gestured to me with his hand, too loud for his voice to be heard. I didn't hesitate as I bolted over to the bi-plane, almost vaulting myself into the cockpit behind Sonic. My hands latched onto the sides as my entire frame shuddered along with the roaring machine. Sonic jabbed his finger in a forwards motion, gripping the joystick tightly.

"Here we go!" I barely heard him say as the plane began moving forwards, pinning my back as far as it could go into my seat.

My fur warmed instantly as we pulled out of the hangar into the sunlight, The Tornado's tires making deep furrows in the grass as we taxied past the house. A flock of flickies flew out of a nearby tree, startled by the noise as I kept my eyes riveted forwards. The bi-plane bumped and shuddered as it tread over the uneven ground, bouncing me up off my seat as I continued to hold on tightly to the sides as if my life depended on it.

A thought suddenly occurred to me as I looked over at the pilot, as the plane made a final quick turn that placed us at the end of a long strip of field. I tapped Sonic's shoulder as the plane came to a halt, gesturing at his face as he looked back at me.

"Err...can you actually fly with those on?" I pointed at his shades, a worried flicker crossing my face as I looked behind him and eyed the long stretch of land that we would be using as a makeshift runway.

He flashed a bit of tooth at me before he swiveled back round, leaning his head backwards until he was looking at me from upside down, my nervous reflection staring back at me.

"Well just sit back, hold tight...and we'll find out together, buddy"

I couldn't hold back the whimper which escaped my throat, thankful for the loud noise of the engine as Sonic straightened back up and pushed down hard on the throttle. The whole plane shuddered as it took off down the field, my fur rustling in the wind as we picked up speed. My mind was racing with fear, with trepidation...and excitement, as the trees on both sides became blurs of green. I held on for dear life as I forced my eyes to stay open, determined to experience every single second as we barreled down the strip...

I felt the ground give way under us, as the wheels lifted themselves up and the nose pitched skywards. My vision was filled entirely by blue sky as 'The Tornado' kissed the ground underneath it goodbye, the left wing titling sideways ever so gently as I felt us take flight. The roaring of the engine subsided somewhat as we climbed, feeling my back pressing further back into my seat as my tails curled round into my lap.

I realized I'd been gripping the sides with all my strength, my knuckles clenching painfully. Prizing my hands free, I inhaled deeply as I looked over the side of the plane.

Green Hill Zone was already so far beneath us, the rolling canopy like a carpet as the bi-plane sailed over it. I couldn't see the house anymore, swallowed back up by the greenery as the horizon opened up before us. I felt like a kid again, so free, so uninhibited as I held my hand out, feeling the chill wind breeze over the palm of my glove.

I couldn't help it, I giggled. I giggled like the little kit I was at that moment, and I prayed that Sonic hadn't heard it. I looked back at the blue hedgehog as he piloted us smoothly through the rushing wind, quills ruffling as he made minute gestures on the throttle to keep us on course, flaps extended then retracting as we leveled out.

I leaned forwards as I kept looking down at the sweeping scenery beneath, thin clouds beginning to waft past my nose as I felt the plane continue to gain height. Sonic's hand ruffled over my head, not taking his eyes off the horizon as I just sat there and let him tussle my hair. The wind was doing a good enough job of blowing it out of shape anyway.

"So," I said over the rush of air, after I finally managed to tear my eyes away from the wondrous sights above and below. "Are you gonna tell me where we're going?"

Sonic lowered his shades an inch, looking back at me with a twinkle in his emerald eye.

"If I told you Tails...you'd never believe me"

He didn't say another word as the plane dipped sideways, taking us further away from Green Hill Zone and into the clear blue sky...

* * *

><p>I couldn't tell you how long we flew, how the minutes seemed to zip by like the infinite clouds we passed on the way. My mind was on autopilot as we left the rolling fields and valleys behind, deep sapphire water replacing it as we crossed over the ocean.<p>

I'd always wanted to fly, as a kid I'd been fascinated by the concept. The chance to just take flight, and leave my problems and the taunts of others behind me. Now here I was, in an amazing plane flown by an equally amazing critter. I didn't know where Sonic had gotten his piloting skills from, all I knew was that when we got back from...wherever he was taking us, I intended to make him teach me. Every. Single. Thing.

I couldn't help but be puzzled by the whole situation I found myself in, the whole day had just been a non-stop series of unanswered questions and mysteries that Sonic wasn't letting me be privy to. I had no idea where we were going, why we were going, or even who had sent Sonic the message to come in the first place. Why was the blue hedgehog so eager to get us there, wherever 'there' was? Who was that voice on the other end of the radio? How could Sonic be navigating without so much as a map or compass to hand?

All these questions burned through me as the chill wind caused me to shiver. I wrapped my arms tightly round my chest, my tails joining in the fun as they curled round me. An old habit I'd had when I was scared in bed as a kid, stormy nights keeping me awake with only my tails to comfort me. It was a habit I really wanted to break, but it was proving to be difficult, the silky warmth from their fur never failing to bring a small bit of comfort no matter how lousy I was feeling.

I craned my neck forwards as I sat back in my seat, watching as Sonic flew us through a particularly thick bank of cloud. He hadn't said much throughout the whole flight, his fur rustling as he kept his eyes straight ahead. Every once in a while I swore I could hear him mumbling to himself, running off numbers and occasionally glancing down as if looking for something. A landmark to navigate to perhaps?

His silent musings were such a contrast to his earlier excitement, the concentration evident as he kept his hand tightly held round the throttle. Still, it was at least comforting to see that he had his full attention on keeping us from plummeting out of the sky. Even if he was still wearing those shades of his.

The clouds parted slowly, the horizon opening up again as the amber glow of the sun shone overhead. I wasn't sure how late it was getting, but the sky was starting to go that pinkish colour which made it clear that night couldn't be too far ahead.

Sonic suddenly tensed, his back straightening as I heard him inhale sharply. He lifted his hand and pointed, his finger rigid as the final cloud cover parted.

What I saw quite literally blew my mind.

It was an island. An island in the sky.

An island that had no business being this high beside us, impossibly defying gravity and staring me straight in the face. Everything that had happened to me in the past week, every bizarre and impossible thing I'd witnessed...nothing compared to this. A...floating...island. Damn.

I couldn't take it in, my brain going numb as I tried to focus on what should have been an impossibility, yet was clearly there right in front of me and so had to be real. Either that or I had gone insane. I could easily believe that too.

The thing was enormous, a continent hovering against the sky bathing in its amber glow. Purple snow topped peaks lined its back, catching the light and shimmering. Forests in every shade of green imaginable dotted across its entire length, bigger than any rain forest I could have imagined. A huge area of what I assumed to be a desert cut raggedly along its nearest edge, sun-baked sand like an enormous valley of carpet laid across its frame. Giant waterfalls were cascading over the sides into the ocean that was oh so far below it, the faintest shadow of a rainbow forming as the spray tumbled down.

It was...beautiful. I wished I was a poet, because right there and then I couldn't think or imagine any words that could describe this floating paradise.

"Not a bad view, aye Tails?" I barely heard Sonic's voice as I continued to gawp, to stare, to marvel at this impossible place. How could I not have heard of this thing before? How could nobody know that it existed? Maybe they did, and I'd been the only one not to be aware. So many questions today, so many things I desperately wanted to know.

My musings were interrupted as I heard the pitch of the engine change, feeling the plane begin to tilt as Sonic pulled on the throttle. The Tornado pitched down with a whine, the island becoming bigger by the second as we turned into it.

"Hang on little buddy!" Sonic shouted over the roar of the wind, quills billowing in all directions as we descended rapidly.

My hands returned to their previous positions, gripping the sides of the plane until my fingers went numb. The sunlight almost blinded me as it hit me full in the face, eyes watering as I lifted a hand to my forehead. When I opened them again the island took up my entire view, our speed increasing as it bared down on us.

I made a note to kill Sonic after this, but only if he landed us safely as we leveled out, dropping down into the thick canopy of what I assumed was a jungle. The Tornado glided down into the tree's, my heart skipping a beat each time the wings seemed to miss hitting them by millimeters. The air was suddenly a lot hotter, the humidity baring down on us making me thankful for the rush of air still billowing over the plane.

Sonic's shoulders stayed rigid as the plane cut a path through the jungle, vines of amazing size swinging above us as the sky was almost completely shut out. I squeaked as a sudden jolt sent me bouncing in my seat, as the bi-planes wheels made contact with the ground. The blue hedgehog pulled back on the joystick as we remained airborne for a brief second longer before hitting solid earth again with a thud. My neck snapped back as we made a final bone shuddering touch-down, the roar of the propeller dying down as we slowed. I rubbed my scruff with a wince as the plane came to a crawling halt, engine dying down to a purr. The humidity came back with a vengeance, the first beads of sweat appearing on my brown as The Tornado went silent.

The lack of noise surprised me, not a whisper or a chirp to be heard as my ears perked up. The jungle was silent, the barest gust of wind rustling the leaves and vines above our heads. The frantic beating of the blood in my temples sounded deafening, as I forced myself to try to calm down as I unclenched my fingers. My tails had wound themselves tightly round my front, prizing them out of my lap as I tried to get to my feet.

The plane wobbled causing me to stumble as Sonic hopped out of the cockpit, walking up to me and lifting his hand in a gesture of help. I accepted it as I hoisted myself down, my feet impacting the hard ground sending tremors up to my knee's. That was some really hard dirt.

Sonic lowered his shades down the bridge of his nose, looking up at the tree's and turning himself in a circle. His emerald eyes matched the colour of the leaves perfectly, cocking one leg over the other as I stood there and watched his silent contemplation. His eyes were twinkling, I almost swore I saw a tear form under his eyelid before he took a huge intake of breath and beat his chest with the palm of his hand.

"Hasn't changed a bit" I heard him whisper, kneading the dirt with the tip of his sneaker. He grinned contently as he lifted his shades back on, turning back to face me.

"Now, I'm sure you have questions. Lots of questions. Questions are good, and I want to answer them" he un-cocked his leg and leaned forwards, folding his hands behind his back as he waited for my expected barrage of questions. "Begin"

I lifted my finger up, taking several deep breaths before I even attempted to speak. My brain was still in pieces, and I was still trying to glue it back together as I concentrated on just breathing.

"Where...in the name...of sanity...are we?" I inhaled and exhaled at every beat, my fur growing heavy as the humidity lay like a carpet over me.

Sonic cleared his throat dramatically, one hand to his mouth as he kept the other one behind him. He lifted his glove in a flourish, a little hip-shake to go with it. This guy was camp, there was no question about it.

"Tails the fox...he replied in a dramatic tone of voice, like he was on stage and I was his one-man audience. "You are now on...The Floating Island!"

I didn't know what I had been expecting this place to be called, but that wasn't it. I was half-expecting the blue hedgehog to say some amazingly exotic title, or something so complicated I wouldn't have a chance of hoping to pronounce it. But 'The Floating Island'? That was it?

Okay, why not? At this point I was just willing to accept whatever Sonic told me. I was in no fit state at that moment to question his wisdom.

I kicked at a discarded leaf that blew onto my shoe, my mind burning with further questions as Sonic began to pace round the plane, continuing his monologue which I was convinced he'd been practicing in his head all throughout the flight.

"We're currently in The Mystic Ruins. Beyond these trees are the ancient relics, thousands of years old and enough to keep any archaeologist busy for a few decades"

My head was nodding dumbly as I tried to process all this information. A floating island...mystic ruins...brain hurting, too much to take in...

"While I admit that I haven't been here for a few...years, if we head in this direction," he pointed in some vague direction through the tree's. How could he tell, they all looked the same! "We should get to where we need to go within the next...hour or so. I think"

My second question popped into my head, spinning my heels round as I confronted the blue one, interrupting whatever he was about to say next.

"Sonic...tell me why we're here. I can't think straight and I just want a simple answer" I was surprised at how pleading my voice was, so desperate was I for a straight answer to try to explain everything in as few words as possible. A difficult task, I admit.

He smiled gently, so at ease in his surroundings compared to me. I was on the verge of a nervous breakdown whilst he looked like he'd just come home.

"To see The Guardian, little buddy" he replied, as if that in any way answered my question. My head felt fit to burst I was so confused, the blood in my temples throbbing painfully as I felt a sudden wave of anger sweep through me.

"That wasn't a simple answer!" I yelled, shocking him with my unexpected outburst. "I want to know what this place is! I want to know why we're floating, how this is all possible! Make me understand Sonic, before I go insane!"

He held his hands up defensively as I trembled from my burst of anger, my nostrils flaring as I sucked in air fitfully, fists clenching at my sides.

"Tails, you need to calm down" he said in a soft reassuring voice. "I know this is all weird to you, but you need to stay calm, okay?"

I just nodded, closing my eyes as I tried to control my breathing. I felt bad about yelling, angry with myself for reacting like that in front of Sonic. But you couldn't blame a guy for overreacting. Before today floating continents weren't real, couldn't be real. Yet here I was, standing in the middle of a jungle on an island that was hovering miles above the ocean. This kind of thing just didn't happen to other people!

My instincts told me that this place felt...wrong, unnatural despite its vivid beauty. Even in this deep foliage there was just something about this place that was 'off'. Maybe it was the fact that in the back of my mind I was still struggling to believe that we weren't actually on terra-firma, instead suspended in mid-air on solid ground that at any moment could give way underfoot. I didn't want to think about how far a fall that would be, or how deep the water was beneath us. My breathing hitched up again as I panicked myself into a state, all rational thoughts escaping me as I struggled to comprehend just what exactly was going on, Sonic's expression becoming more concerned as he watched me.

I felt my ankle hit a half-buried tree root as I stepped backwards, my arms flailing out frantically as I tried to regain my balance. Sonic's extended hand of help came a split second too late, as I stumbled backwards and fell into a roll. My neck and shoulders surged with pain as I hit the floor, tumbling into the foliage and throwing up clumps of dust and dirt before I came to a stop. I groaned as my neck throbbed, my eyes squeezed shut as I tried to rub the dirt from them. I heard Sonic approaching me, no doubt seeing me splayed out pathetically, clumsy sod that I was.

My hand hit something as I blindly staggered to my feet, my glove snagging on something sharp. I tugged it as I tried to get myself loose, eyes still shut against the stinging dirt.

"Don't move, Tails" Sonic's voice stopped me in my tracks, the note of urgency in his voice causing me to freeze up. I sensed him kneel down beside me and take a hold of my wrist, gently lifting it free from whatever I'd caught myself on, the material of my glove pulling slightly before coming free.

I wiped my eyes with my free hand, wanting to see why Sonic had been so concerned. I blinked the soil from my pupils and looked at where Sonic was kneeling.

"Well," he murmured, not looking back at me and possibly talking to himself again. "This is new"

It was a spike trap, and I wasn't exaggerating. Three jagged metal spikes jutted up from the floor, razor sharp tips staring evilly back at me. My glove had a large puncture mark in the palm, my blood running cold as I realized just how close I'd come to serious injury, or worse. If I'd fallen back just a few inches to the right...

Sonic's eyes narrowed, letting go of my wrist which I quickly clutched to my chest. He lifted a finger and pressed it against the side of one of the spikes, running up and down its length in careful examination. I inched my way as far back from the horrible thing as I could, my back pressing against a tree trunk as I looked at my damaged glove with wide eyes. I had thankfully not managed to damage any of the the skin underneath, opening and closing my palm to get rid of the annoying pins and needles sensation. I was grateful that that was the only thing I had to worry about.

The very thought that I'd almost killed myself on a metal death trap in the middle of a jungle wasn't lost to me. The trap itself looked so out of place, like someone had just planted it without any care or attention but in the hope that someone would accidentally tread on it. I shuddered as I imagined just what kind of person could do that, to deliberately try to kill someone or at the very least maim them. Suddenly, this place didn't seem so beautiful to me anymore.

The blue hedgehog got to his feet after a moment, standing over the spike trap and tapping it with his sneaker. He looked over to me with a worried look.

"You okay, buddy?"

I got to my feet with a little shake in my knee's rubbing myself free of dirt and leaves in the process. I was surprised at how calm I was taking this whole 'near death experience' thing, when before I was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Funny what staring death in the face will do to you, huh?

"Y-yeah...yeah, I'm fine" I walked up to him slowly, my eyes cast downwards at the trap. "So...you want to explain what that is to me?"

He folded his arms, eyes still narrowed almost hauntingly. He seemed genuinely at a loss for words, not expecting me to have almost impaled myself on a hidden death trap. His eyes weren't twinkling anymore, a shadow suddenly crossing his face as the sunlight was blocked out momentarily.

"I wish I could, pal. I really wish I could"

With a final glance back at the trap, I followed behind the blue hedgehog as we walked deeper into the undergrowth. I stayed close to his shoulder, wary now for any more potentially nasty surprises. He put his arm round me protectively, and I was very grateful for it. My initial hysteria was now forgotten about, but I still had questions that I wanted answering. Lots of them. Sonic wasn't getting out of that so easily.

The shadows were growing thicker, our footsteps the only sounds to be heard. Despite what had just happened, despite the fact that I was still struggling to believe where we were and having no clue as to why we were here in the first place...my excitement was slowly returning.

I flashed Sonic a nervous smile, anxious to show that I was over my initial episode and wasn't about to go nuts on him again. Miles Prower would have run by now, desperate to save his own skin. But I was determined to find out just why this place was so important to Sonic, why he'd been so desperate to come here and to bring me along for the ride.

I just hoped finding the answers didn't kill me in the process.

* * *

><p><strong>Next time in Sonic: Year One- Tails finds himself neck deep in trouble as The Guardian makes his entrance. What connection does he have to Sonic, and what further secret is The Floating Island holding? Find out next time!<br>**

**Don't forget to review guys! Joe.  
><strong>


	3. Rad Red

Greetings yall! Joe Stalin here, bringing you Part 2 of **'The Guardian'**!

Sonic and Tails explore the Floating Island, but they are not alone. Sonic's past is about to catch up to him as True Blue and Rad Red come face to face. Is Tails ready to meet...Knuckles?

Yes everyone, its time! Our crimson Guardian is ready to make his debut! Enjoy!

**Note: **To get the full story behind this new series, please read '**_The Fox, The Gem and The Hedgehog_**' and _**'New Surroundings'**_ first.

**Disclaimer:** I do not, nor indeed will I ever, own Sonic or any other SEGA characters. This fic is written purely for enjoyment.

* * *

><p><strong><span>Sonic: Year One<span>**

**The Guardian**

**RAD RED**

Sonic's socks were full of holes.

Of all the things I'd seen on this day, a day that had thrown me into a world of madness and insanity I couldn't have dreamed of in my wildest delusions, this should have been as far from my mind as possible. But yet here I was. Enthralled by the fact that Sonic's hitherto unseen socks had more holes in them than a sieve.

Perhaps it was because my brain was still struggling to process everything around me, to comprehend this...surreal...impossible world I'd been brought to. Maybe that was why I was clinging to something so ordinary and mundane in comparison.

Let me remind you, dear readers, that this day hadn't been easy for me so far. Before today the world had seemed so small, so manageable, so very easy to understand. But now? Now I didn't know what to think, because what I thought I knew had turned out to be so very, very wrong.

So far in this past week I'd come to be aware of several things- a guy called Eggman apparently ruled the world (news to me), a blue hedgehog was fighting a never ending battle to stop him, pools of water in the middle of forests sometimes created magical rings (though I'd yet to see this) and a floating island which I was currently trekking across had apparently existed all this time with me being none the wiser.

This, as you can imagine, wasn't exactly a normal week for me.

In my old life, floating continents didn't exist. Or maybe they had, and I was the only one who'd been oblivious to it. Was the whole world in on the secret, was I the only one kept out of the lurch? How could anyone not possibly know about this place?

My brain hurt. This was waay too many questions for one day. I was going to give myself a migraine if I wasn't careful. Back to the present.

We'd been walking for what felt like hours, I'd cursed my lack of foresight to bring a watch along and only the throbbing pain in my feet gave a possible indication of how long we'd been traveling through the undergrowth. Sonic had finally called a halt to the proceedings when we'd come across a stream, a break in the canopy opening up to reveal a cosy little brook. A large tree stump made for a makeshift camp, my legs collapsing under me in gratitude as I struggled to get my breath back.

The last rays of sun were struggling to pierce the thick forest roof above, the twinkling water of the stream a brilliant amber. We hadn't brought any supplies with us, and that water was looking very tempting to my parched throat. But I wasn't about to act like a stray dog lapping from a puddle just yet, even though my drooping tails and matted fur were making me look more and more like a mutt by the second. I still had some dignity left.

I cast an envious eye at my blue companion, incredulous at how cool and relaxed he was whilst I was sweating buckets, my cheeks flushed and ears wilting from the heat. The humidity of this place was unreal, yet Sonic didn't have so much as a bead of sweat on his forehead! Whatever his secret was, I wanted in on it before my body called it quits on me.

He sat opposite me, his back to the stream as he stretched his legs out, the tips of his shoes twitching as he flexed. He flicked his shades up onto his head, emerald eyes twinkling with that same carefree expression. His previous concern from earlier had faded gradually over the course of the day, but every once in a while I'd caught his gaze shifting from side to side, wary for any further nasty surprises that might catch us out. My torn glove was a reminder that this place wasn't exactly the most hospitable of environments, something that had seemed to even shock Sonic judging by his reaction when I'd almost skewered myself.

Based on that, I imagined that the last time the blue hedgehog had been here, lethal booby-traps hadn't been a problem.

I wiped my forehead clear of sweat as Sonic kicked his shoes off, catching me by surprise as this was the first time I'd ever seen him sans-sneaker. His white socks were a mess, blue toes poking out from the litany of holes and tears that barely kept them attached to his feet. For a guy who wore so little to start with, I was amazed at how rag-tag his appearance was and yet how indifferent he seemed about it. One thing was for sure, the 'No Shirt, No Service' rule would have kept Sonic out of most of my previous haunts.

A random piece of long-grass clamped between his teeth, and the blue hedgehog would have been the very picture of a furry Tom Sawyer. Rather appropriate, in my opinion, he had the attitude down to a tee. He crossed one leg over the other and leaned his head back, arms folded as a makeshift pillow. I really hoped he didn't plan on taking a power nap, I wasn't keen on finding out what sort of predators lived on this island alone.

"Uhm...Sonic?" I spoke up after my heart had finally stopped pummeling my chest, my back still leaning heavily against the tree stump.

He lifted one eye up at me, the other remaining closed "Yeah bud?"

"I was...just wondering," I ran a hand through my matted hair, the humidity playing havoc with my sweaty fur. "Where exactly are we heading? I know you said something about a 'Mystical Ruin..."

"Mystic Ruins, little buddy" he corrected me, shades flopping down comically to cover his eyes again. He didn't seem to mind though.

"Right," I stood corrected. "But, what I wouldn't mind knowing...is what exactly this place we're in such a hurry to get to is? Or were, before we, you know...stopped"

Sonic ran a finger across his ear, idly kicking one of his feet as I waited for him to answer.

"Well technically Tails, we actually don't need to get to Mystic Ruins _specifically_, we're just trying to find The Guardian. Now, Mystic Ruins is one of his main stomping grounds, so ergo..."

He paused and looked at him, it took me a few seconds for me to catch on "...that's why we're going to Mystic Ruins"

"Correct amundo!" he smirked, then grimaced as if he'd swallowed something sour. "Remind me never to say that again"

"Will do" I replied, smirking a little at the corny line. Hey, they couldn't all be gems.

Sonic gave another stretch, craning his neck round and cracking it with enough noise to make me wince. I looked behind him to the gently running water of the stream, my eyes undoubtedly shimmering as they caught the light. This place was so quite and peaceful, it almost made me forget that we were suspended thousands of feet in the air. Almost.

He straightened up to look at me suddenly, one arm propping him up as he took off his shades and set them down on the grass "How are you feeling, Tails?"

I looked at him in confusion "Uhm...well, fine I guess. Why, shouldn't I be?"

"Of course you should!" he smiled warmly at me, but he had that same look of concern on his face as he'd done earlier "But I just want you to know...you're doing well"

I tilted my head, unsure what to say to that remark "Doing well...at?

"At taking this in," he gestured with his arm all around us, pointing at nothing in particular. "All of it. I don't blame you for freaking out earlier, its a lot to take in and I probably should have explained a bit more before we got here"

"Yeah, about that" I wrung my hands together (I really needed to stop doing that) and looked at him sheepishly. "I shouldn't have yelled at you. It was just such a...shock. It still hasn't really sunk in, but I should have kept my head instead of going nuts on you"

He waved his hand dismissively "Tails, you have nothing to apologize for. This is big stuff, stuff that you've never seen or even thought about before"

He sighed softly and lay back on the grass, staring up at the canopy "This place is just so familiar to me...I didn't even think about how you'd react to it. Not everyone takes stuff like this for granted like I do"

I rubbed the back of my head as I felt another angst moment rear its ugly head, and I worked to steer the conversation away from it as quickly as possible.

"So tell me more about it" I smiled as that caught his attention, head snapping back up to face me as I got to my feet despite my still tender pads "Quit hogging all the secrets to yourself"

He chuckled at that remark, probably noting my unplanned use of the word 'hogging', and jumped to his feet with all the grace of a dancer.

"Ask, and ye shall receive little bud!" he winked, putting his shades back on before looking round for his discarded sneakers. "But I think the best person to tell you all that is The Guardian"

I watched as he fumbled for his shoes, not so graceful as he tugged one on whilst hopping to keep his balance. "Hey, you haven't told me a single thing about this guy, don't I at least get a name?" I asked as he almost fell back on his tush.

Sonic grunted as he tugged his other sneaker on, no doubt putting a new hole in his sock judging by the force he used "I'll leave the introductions for when we meet him, its only fair"

I exhaled and folded my arms, my nose twitching as the bangs of my hair drooped with the heat "This guy sounds even more mysterious than you, and I at least got a name out of _you_ when we first met. What exactly is he a _'Guardian'_ of, anyway?"

He flashed his teeth at that, like a shark staring at a particularly tasty fish. "Oh no no no, you don't get to know that yet. You'd never believe me, and I intend to milk this moment for as long as I can!"

I bit my lip, unsure whether to be amused at his reaction or concerned. He'd had the same reaction when we'd first got the summons to come here, that same mad glint that I'm sure I'd got whenever I'd seen a particularly thick wallet. It was a new experience to see it on someone else's face for a change.

His smile didn't waver as he flung his arm around me, propelling me back along to continue our trek through the wild. My blistered soles screamed in protest, my mouth tightening as I struggled to keep it from registering on my face.

"You know, I'm excited for a number of reasons today" Sonic said suddenly, fingers drumming on my shoulder. "But do you want to know the main reason?"

I looked at him, his smile was infectious as I felt my own lips twitching upwards. "No, do tell"

"You're the first person I've ever brought here," his hand squeezed my shoulder warmly. "I want it to be worth remembering, for both of us"

Suddenly, the pain in my feet and the humidity didn't matter. For all I cared, we could have walked for another thousand miles and I wouldn't have complained. Sonic cared enough to bring me here, cared enough to admit it to my face, and he was going out of his way to make sure I enjoyed the whole experience, as maddening and confusing as it was.

I was determined in that moment to make sure I did.

* * *

><p>We were lost. Completely and utterly lost. At least, that was how it felt to me.<p>

Night had fallen completely in the hour or so since we'd resumed our trek, and with nothing able to penetrate the canopy we were left in total blackness. My night-vision wasn't exactly great to begin with, but my eyes had been forced to adjust as the last light disappeared until I could barely make out my hand in front of my face.

It didn't help that the ground underfoot was so rough and hazardous, rocks and gnarled tree roots causing me to trip and stumble in the dark, my already aching feet now burning. The only way I kept from landing flat on my face was keeping my hand clamped on Sonic's shoulder, the blue hedgehog somehow still being able to see his way through the mire. If I could see his face, I could imagine his emerald eyes would be the only thing I could make out, staring determinedly ahead.

The chirps and shrieks of hidden insects occasionally caused my ears to perk up, otherwise they were the only sounds other than our own combined breathing. Sonic had been silent for most of the trek, unnerving me slightly after I'd lost sight of him in the darkness and presumably because he was concentrating on where we were going. How he knew where to go I'll never know, he either had the route mapped out in his head or he had a sixth sense that kept him from losing his bearings.

A sudden breeze ruffled my fur as I suppressed a shiver, the humidity that had lasted throughout the day now long gone. I felt Sonic's quills brush across my hand, comforting as I couldn't see him but knew he was still there.

My stomach growled ominously, sounding all the louder in the nocturnal silence which I was glad for when I felt my cheeks flush in embarrassment. Breakfast had been a long, long time ago and I doubted we'd be eating any time soon. We'd brought no supplies with us anyway, and I sure as heck wasn't going to take my chances with anything growing out here. A boiled egg would have hit the spot right then, my mouth salivating as another rumble erupted from my gut. Sonic didn't say I word, but I imagined he was smirking as my stomach continued its protests.

I was very surprised when my foot suddenly hit something solid, the rough dirt path ending suddenly as solid stone replaced it. Though I still couldn't see, the dull echo of our shoes rung in my ears as the path continued through the jungle, my grip on Sonic's shoulder not easing in the slightest.

I thought I was seeing things as I began to make out a distant glow in the distance, my eyesight clearing ever so slightly as a dim orange began to shine through the foliage. It grew brighter as we approached, flickering through the shadows and lighting up the path we were walking across. It finally dawned on me what it was as a faint crackling noise reached my ears. Flames.

My eyes took in the sight as Sonic lifted up a branch blocking our way. Burning torches on either side of the wide stone path cast the whole area in a warm amber glow, the poles they were attached to bigger than Sonic and me combined and stretching out as far as I could make out ahead of us. The stone slabs we were stood on were cracked and moss covered, yet felt remarkably solid underfoot. Above our heads I could barely make out a few stars breaking through the canopy, twinkling in the ebony blackness.

Sonic cleared his throat as I finally removed my hand from his shoulder, now that there was light enough for us to continue on without the risk of losing sight of each other.

"Not far now bud, just stick to the path" he said as he turned to look at me, his eyes shimmering in the glare of the torches. His face was half cast in shadow, giving him an almost unnerving look despite the smile on his lips. He must have caught the nervousness in my eyes, as he gave me a wink.

"Trust me, I'm Sonic T. Hedgehog"

I nodded my head in acknowledgment, and we continued on ahead with the blue hedgehog in front, still leading the way.

It was almost haunting as we walked down this torchlit corridor, the path beyond us still shrouded in shadow until we reached the next area of torch light. The warmth from the flames heated my fur slightly, small embers dropping from the torches and briefly floating in the breeze before going out in a flicker of smoke.

It was so quiet out here. Other than our soft footsteps, it was so very very quiet. Unnaturally so, even the insects had stopped chirping.

The fur on the back of my neck was standing up for some reason as Sonic walked ahead of me, my shoulders suddenly stiffening against my will. A shiver ran through me as I cast my eyes sidewards, trying to look into the thick blackness beyond the torches. I felt unsettled all of a sudden, edgy despite the fact we were now in the light. My ears were perked up in alert mode, but I couldn't understand why.

Though it sounded like a massive cliche, I couldn't shake the feeling. I was being watched. Something was staring back at me through the darkness.

I didn't believe in monsters, never had done even as a kid. I'd had enough real problems to be scared about without imagining any more. But I quickened my pace to try to keep up with the blue hedgehog ahead of me, the crackling torches guiding my way.

Sonic had walked some distance ahead, his blue form occasionally disappearing into shadow as he walked between the gap of each torch. My legs strained as I fought to keep up, my shoes thudding off the stone slabs as I forced myself not to run. What I didn't need now was to look like a scared little kit not wanting to be left in the dark, even if at that moment I felt exactly like one.

I came to a halt as I almost collided with Sonic's back, so quickly and silently had he stopped walking. He didn't turn to face me, nor did he say anything as I slowly moved up to his shoulder. I noticed the grin on his face immediately, amber flames lighting up his face. His eyes were almost glowing, two green gems burning as hot as the flames above our heads. He had that look again, the one he'd given me back in Pickles's mansion. Ancient, primal...awe-inspiring.

He lifted up his hand and pointed downwards, his whole arm extending outwards.

"We're here"

His voice was so soft it was almost a whisper. I followed with my eyes to where he was pointing at.

My eyes shot open, jaw dropping at what I saw beyond us, all my previous fears evaporating as suddenly as they had come.

The stone path descended down into a valley, but the thick jungle which had hemmed us in had opened up and the canopy above our heads was gone. Moonlight bathed the entire area in silver, a thousand stars specked across the skyline and lighting up the valley below us for all to see.

It was a city, massive in size, an archaeologists dream come true. Huge Olympian pillars rose from the ground, thick vines of ivy wrapping tightly around their columns. Ancient crumbling temples sprawled across the landscape, their domed roofs broken and holed yet still glowing in the moonlight. Statues of various sizes lay either sprawled on the ground or tilted at angles, some close to toppling yet still standing tall as vines and plant life slowly reclaimed them.

At the very centre of the city was what looked to be an altar, a huge flight of marble stairs leading up to its plinth. A wide groove lay in the exact middle, dotted by seven small pillars like the numbers on a clock face. Whatever it had held was long gone, the bottom cracked and split like a a giant spiders web.

I knew where we were before Sonic could even say it. This was Mystic Ruins, and the blue hedgehog hadn't been wrong. This place was the very definition of 'mystical', like someone had taken every ancient temple and palace from history and molded them into one. The ruins of Apotos, Adabat, none of those places that I'd seen pictures of in books came even close to this city. All I could do was stare, fighting the urge to pinch myself just in case this was a dream. I didn't want to wake up from this, no way.

Sonic's chuckle broke my concentration, his arms at his hips as he enjoyed my amazement, like a child showing off his most secret of hiding places.

"Go ahead," he said, crossing his arms across his chest. "You can say it"

I just shook my head in bewilderment, a bemused smile crossing my face as I almost laughed at the absurdity of it all.

"This...this is just amazing! I...I can't believe...never in my...I just..." I inhaled as I quickly ran out of breath. "...wow"

Sonic ran a finger under his nose, eyes closed in satisfaction "Yeah, that's what I thought. Surprised you didn't swear, but I can live with that"

I didn't bother to admit just how close I had come to turning the air blue with my reaction, my head still unconsciously shaking from side to side as I worked to deal with this new absurdity I'd been plunged into.

How was this place so well hidden? It was so vast, so massive! Metropolis Zone wasn't as big as this place for goodness sake!

That was a question I still couldn't figure out, but right there and then I didn't care. We were here, it was real, and now all we had to find was this 'Guardian' that Sonic was so obsessed with.

How we intended to find him in this maze of temples though, I didn't have a clue.

Sonic answered my unspoken question for me as he slapped a hand on my shoulder, other hand held up in a 'stay' motion.

"Stay here little buddy. Enjoy the view, I'll be 'literally' two seconds, k?"

I tilted my head as I watched him kick the dirt from his sneakers, cracking his neck and rolling his shoulders. The shades had returned to his face, reflecting the light from the moon in both eyes. How he intended to see with those things on...

"Why? Where are you going?" I asked as he finished what I presumed was his pre-run warm-up.

He pointed down at the altar in the centre, a little blip in the middle of the giant city.

"I want to check that out before we go on ahead" he replied, his voice having a tinge of puzzlement to it, like he'd been expecting something that had turned out to be missing. I noticed he was nibbling his bottom lip as well.

"I was actually expecting..." he seemed to catch himself before he could finish, as if he'd come close to blurting out a secret.

"...yeah?" I tried to get him to finish, leaning my head closer as I could almost see his eyes moving from side to side under his glasses.

"Nothing" he answered, smile returning though I wasn't fooled for a second. I was used to the blue hedgehog keeping secrets from me by this point, but it didn't make it any less annoying and I was really getting sick of it now. He either thought I was extremely gullible, or was still hell-bent on keeping the surprise he'd talked about earlier. Either way, it was really starting to tick me off.

"You sure?" I countered, arms folded tightly as I furrowed my brow, trying to convey my annoyance.

He either didn't notice or just blatantly ignored the look I was giving him, rubbing his hands together and cracking his fingers.

"Absolutely. Like I said, two seconds! Promise!"

With a blast of dirt that had me scrunching my eyes, the blue one disappeared. My nose tingled as I struggled not to inhale the dust-cloud I'd been subjected to, not able to stop a single cough from escaping my throat. I smoothed down my ruffled chest fur with a sigh, tapping my shoe petulantly.

Despite the amazing view my mood was now sour. I didn't like being treated like a kid, being told to just sit and wait while the guy who acted more like a kid went off exploring. I was new to this place, I admit, but what was the point of the blue hedgehog bringing me here if he was just going to leave me at the first opportunity? Did he just want someone to show off to, to polish his ego and be amazed at everything whilst keeping every important bit of information to himself? And he still hadn't told me anything about this Guardian guy...

I trusted Sonic, but I still didn't get him. If this was some grand plan of his, I wouldn't have minded being given some insight into it.

I rolled my eyes and kept my arms folded as I started counting slowly in my head.

One...two...and Sonic was already a liar...three...four...

I never got to five, as my head exploded in agony as something hard and heavy made contact with the back of my neck. My vision turned white as I felt the ground rise up to meet my chest, the breath knocked out of me with a yelp of pain. I felt a wetness on my scruff, the blood rushing in my temples as I choked in agony. My body instinctively curled up into a protective ball, my twin tails wrapping round me to cocoon me from this unseen threat. I blinked away the tears that were suddenly at the corners of my eyes, my vision blurred as I made out two big feet only inches from my face.

"Get up" the sudden voice came as a shock to me, my ears still ringing from the impact of whatever had hit me. The ringing seemed to amplify the growled demand from my assailant, sounding like it had been spoken through gritted teeth.

"I shan't tell you again" was said a few seconds later when I made no attempt to get up, focused instead on keeping the rising bile from surging up my throat. "Get up!"

Another explosion of pain wracked me as my ribs took a solid kick from one of those big shoes, another yelp torn from me. I rolled with the impact, my tails still wrapped tightly round me as I scraped across the stones, grazing my elbows and knees as I came to a halt, sprawled on my back and looking up at the stars above me. I heard footsteps approaching me slowly, my eyes swimming in tears as I struggled to get up from the floor.

"I'll make you get up" whoever it was spat, my chest fur being gripped in a huge fist and my entire body being dragged upright. My legs were numb, but they weren't given the chance to support me as my back was slammed into a nearby tree, my eyes snapping open as I yelled out in pain.

Two violet eyes leered back at me, burning with a rage I'd never seen on any sane person before in my life. I caught a shock of crimson fur as my neck was pinched by a thick white glove, lifting my head up as I looked at my attacker square in the face.

He was a mobian, but that was all I could tell. I had no idea what species he was, my vision too blurred to make out anything other than those eyes of his. I'd been given looks like that in the past, disgusted or just plain angry. But this was something else, his eyes were full of hate. Hate for someone he'd never met before but yet had decided, for whatever reason, was a threat.

What caught my attention right after that was the hat he was sporting, which would have made me laugh if not for the perilous predicament I was currently in. A tan fedora with a wide brim, tilted low down over his forehead which had the effect of casting a line of shadow across his face. It almost looked like a highwayman's mask, though I hadn't been asked to stand and delivery so much as been body-slammed into the nearest solid object. Thick dreadlocks cascaded down his back, not stiff like Sonic's quills but floppy and loose, the same colour as the rest of his fur apart from a single splash of white on his chest.

The material of the glove so tightly holding my neck was thick like leather, but extremely rough and ending in thick cuffs at the wrists. The guy's fur was almost blood-like in its shade, a tan muzzle capped with a small black nose that jutted barely inches from mine.

What worried me almost as much as the thick hand choking the life out of me were the dazzling white teeth clenched in a snarl that looked sharp enough to bite me in half! I really hoped whoever this guy was had no plans to see whether he enjoyed the taste of fox...

"So, the big guy decided to send someone living for once," his voice was like sand-paper, his teeth still clenched together in an almost feral expression. "No biggie, you'll still break just as easily..."

My back was wrenched from against the tree as I was tossed aside, my feet skittering across the floor as I fought to keep my balance. Without even thinking I lashed out as I stumbled, my tails extending out in a flash that caught the guy by surprise as the tips of my appendages swatted him across the face. A growl of pain confirmed the damage I'd done as he threw a hand up to his cheek, giving me a momentary respite as I fought to stay on my feet. His white glove came away stained red, an angry wet welt on his cheek from where my tails had connected. My moment of triumph was short lived as my heart almost stopped at the ferocity on his face, his pupils dilating as he swung his head to face me.

"Oh, you are _really_ going to pay for that..."

I fought he was going to charge me right there and then, his pupils like slits as he clenched his fists closed. But he took his time, slowly walking towards me as I backed up hurriedly, my eyes wide and desperately looking for any sign of my cobalt rescuer. I didn't care who this guy was, what his problem with me was, or anything like that. All I wanted to know was why Sonic's two seconds had long, long since past.

My attacker cracked his knuckles, the blood from his cheek now running down his face though he didn't seem to care. My own life blood ran cold as I realized his gloves ended in two very sharp looking claws, and I had no illusions as to where they were going to end up. Each step he took caused my heart to almost skip its beating, his yellow and green shoes capped with steel toes that was the reason why my ribs felt like they were on fire.

"When I send you back to Eggman, I'm gonna pack you in very...small...boxes" he was grinning like a feral, teeth flashing like a shark out of water as blood dripped down his chin.

I wanted to scream, to beg, to cry out to any deity merciful enough to be listening for help. But I couldn't get any noise to escape my chest, the taste of bile in the back of my throat and my neck feeling hot and, more worryingly, damp. My tails were rigged behind me, twisting against one another as he kept coming towards me, any second now he was going to...

He launched himself at me, fist extended directly at my face. I panicked, I lunged myself aside, knowing full well I'd never be able to dodge...

My feet didn't touch the ground, the ground disappearing from underfoot as I jumped...and kept going. I watched as the guy ran directly underneath my legs, the momentum carrying him forward several feet before he realized I was no longer in front of him. His head snapped to look up, to stare in disbelief as I continued to...hover?

When...could I hover? How could I hover? Why was I, in that very moment, hovering several feet off the ground?

I didn't have time to answer any of those very good questions, as gravity once again took hold and I hit the ground hard, as whatever had been holding me up suddenly gave way, my knees buckling as I landed hard on my rear. My attacker was still staring at me in disbelief, his eyes wide as he, like me, tried to figure out what had just happened.

It didn't last long as he sneered at me, lifting up his fist as he slowly began to approach me again. Only this time I had no strength left to attempt whatever had just happened again.

"I don't know _what_ you are...but I am gonna throw you off this island...right...now!"

I shut my eyes tight for the inevitable.

"HOLD IT!"

My head snapped up at the sudden voice, so loud it left my ears ringing. My attacker stood stock-still, arm still extended towards me where he'd come inches from laying into my face. His ears were upright against his head, eyes almost as wide as mine as he looked in the direction the voice had come from.

The sound of hurried footsteps echoed in my head as my saviour ran to my side, bending down to look me square in the face.

"Tails? Tails, are you okay?"

I was seeing double, the blue hedgehogs face swimming and refusing to focus as he ripped the sunglasses from his face. The taste of copper was in my mouth as I felt his fingers brush across my scruff, coming back wet and sticky. His green eyes were wide and panic-filled, as he helped me get upright, just in case I felt the urge to pass out.

A sudden snarl caused me to flinch, my grip on Sonic tightening, until I realized it hadn't come from my attacker.

"What...the hell...did you do?"

I'd never heard Sonic's voice like that before, I didn't even know he was capable of sounding so angry. He was staring at the red guy with a look strong enough to kill, quills almost standing on end. I grabbed his hand and squeezed it, his gaze softening in a second as he turned to look back at me.

"I'm...I'm okay, Sonic" I said through gritted teeth, holding on to him as I crawled back to my feet, holding a hand to my forehead as I tried to shake off the dizziness. When I opened my eyes again, my vision was clearer, and I looked to where my assailant was stood, still mutely staring at me and Sonic. He hadn't even bothered to wipe the blood still running down his cheek, just staring back at the blue hedgehog who continued to keep me on my feet.

"Who is he Sonic? Do you...know him?" I ran a glove over my mouth, wiping my chin as Sonic inhaled heavily. He wasn't looking at me anymore, he was staring straight at my attacker, eyes still pulsing with anger

"This...wasn't the introduction I was hoping for"

My heart almost stopped, a strangled grunt escaping my lips.

No way! No way did he expect me to believe that...

Sonic slapped a hand to his forehead, his head slowly shaking from side to side "Tails...this is Knuckles"

I very, very slowly turned my head to each guy in turn, blue to red then back again, almost daring Sonic to finish his sentence.

"He's...he's The Guardian"

* * *

><p><strong>Next time in Sonic: Year One- The introductions have got off to a bad start. Can Knuckles explain himself to Tails? And what exactly is his reason for summoning Sonic? Find out next time!<br>**

**Don't forget to review guys! Joe.  
><strong>


	4. All This And A Warp Ring Too

**Sonic: Year One**

**The Guardian**

**All This And A Warp Ring Too  
><strong>

You ever had the urge to slap someone? Not just a friendly tap on the cheek, or even a petulant little smack, I mean really SLAP them?

I'm not a violent person, despite what my past might have led you to believe. I'd grown up hearing the same-old tired mantra "Don't retaliate, don't fight back", and my daily role as a good for nothing con-artist hadn't required me to make fisticuffs with the various people I'd ripped off. I'd left that to the guys who had less finesse than myself.

But, in that very second as my body continued to pulse with pain and my head continued to swim, the only thing on my mind...the **only** thing I was thinking of, was giving Sonic T. Hedgehog the biggest crack he'd ever had in his life.

In the last few hours I'd been dragged through miles of jungle, blistered my feet to shreds and almost been skewered on a spike-trap. Then to top it all I'd been attacked, battered to within an inch of my life by someone who I'd never met in my life, and been left with a splitting headache, lacerated neck, bruised ribs, spine and more than likely internal hemorrhaging if the pain in my chest was anything to go by.

And it was all Sonic's fault!

I cast a hateful expression at the guy who'd subjected me to the latter of my ailments, or 'Knuckles' as Sonic had announced him as. This guy...this psycho...who had attacked me for no reason and almost trodden me into the dirt...this was the guy we'd been looking for all this time? This was the guy who Sonic had been so excited about seeing again, the guy who apparently had all the answers to this floating island hell the blue one had brought me to?

Now that he wasn't trying to break my face, I got a better look at this so called 'Guardian'. Apart from the brown trilby and his gloves and shoes, his attire was just as sparse as Sonic's. I was beginning to wonder if I was the strange one for wearing clothes. A utility belt of sorts that I hadn't noticed before hung from his waist, brown leather with an assortment of tools hanging from tiny little hooks which glistened in the torchlight. I dreaded to think how tempted he must have been to use them on me...

I still had no idea what species he was, maybe he was a hedgehog with a really bad taste in quill-style for all I knew. His red fur was sleek and well-kept, not a fur-strand out of place save for the dreadlocks that hung past his shoulders in a bed-hair disarray. His chest was highlighted by a half-moon shaped shock of white that almost shimmered in the dim light, violet eyes not looking at me as he kept them staring at the ground, like a little boy caught pinching from the sweet jar.

I doubted it was a look of sadness or regret, more like annoyance at being caught before he could finish 'playing' with me rather than regret at what he'd done. It didn't help temper my anger in any case, as I felt the urge to spit in his direction before I caught myself. No point lowering myself in front of Sonic, not that I cared what he thought right at that moment.

My glove came away with a red stain as I wiped my lip, stinging from where I must have bitten it whilst having my head nearly caved in. I felt my fingers tensing as I dropped my arms to my sides, a vein I had up til now not realized I had throbbing at my temple.

Sonic's face was a picture, his hand rubbing across his brow in exacerbation with his eyes closed, thus completely missing my growing rage. He looked like he'd aged considerably in the few moments since he'd broken up the fight (one sided as it had been), shoulders sagging as I almost expected him to start groaning. He looked...embarrassed, either at his 'friends' behaviour or his failure to prevent it.

I swirled my tongue around my gum and almost bit my tongue as a sharp pain ran through my jaw. Loose tooth. That did it.

"Sonic..." I growled, my hands closing into fists as I turned my head to face him. My snarl caused him to lift his hand from his eyes, looking at me sheepishly as my blood rose several degrees hotter. He held his palms up defensively in acknowledgement.

"Tails, I didn't mean for this to happen, but just give me a minute..." He cast an sullen eye in the direction of my erstwhile attacker, "I'll get some answers"

His gloved finger snapped up to point at Knuckles, emerald eyes narrowing as he took a step in the red ones direction, "You. Start talking. Now"

I had to give Sonic credit, he could do intimidating really well. If I had been on the receiving end of that accusing stare I would have been justifiably unnerved.

It didn't seem to have any affect on Knuckles however, busying himself instead with wiping his cheek free of blood. A satisfied smirk crossed my face as I observed the angry welt my tails had left on his face, no doubt stinging like hell despite his mask of indifference. My smirk faded quickly as my ribs flared in another rush of pain, my hand dropping to my side as I held back a groan. My own pain tolerance was clearly lower than the red ones. Man, I was going to hurt tomorrow.

Finishing his ministrations, Knuckles's hand dropped back to his side. His gloved mitt was stained around the spiked gauntlets, an involuntary shiver running up my spine as I imagined how close I'd come to having my own blood spattered on those big fists of his.

He cast a malicious look in my direction that caused me to take a defensive step back, trying not to show the genuine fear I still had for this nut job. His body was still tensed, like he was pent up with adrenaline that he'd been so rudely interrupted from venting on my delicate frame. Sonic's jawline set firmer as he caught the glare in those purple pupils, his demand being silently ignored.

"Don't look at him, look at me" the blue one snapped, Knuckles's eyes switching from me to Sonic in a flash. I could tell his teeth were clenching despite his mouth remaining closed, a low growl rumbling from his crimson chest. Sonic clearly wasn't phased, or he was just a good actor.

"Get to explaining, or I'll assume you just attacked my friend unprovoked" a gloved finger was held threateningly to the red one's face. "And I don't take kindly to that, as you well know"

A violet eye twitched for a second, a barely noticeable tilt of his head following, "He's with you?"

His first words for a while came as a surprise to me. His voice was a_ lot _clearer now he wasn't salivating like a feral, deep but with a subtle accent to it that I couldn't place. He didn't sound much older than Sonic, but it was hard to tell. I needed to hear more of what was going to pass for his 'explanation' before I passed judgement.

Sonic looked taken aback for a moment at the query, "Of course he is. What, you think he flew here under his own power?"

That remark made my tails go rigid, the memory of my little stunt from before rushing back. I still had no idea how I'd managed to evade Knuckles's attack in that way, never mind the fact that it raised so many questions about myself. I had never..._ever_...hovered before, I didn't even think it was physically possible for a fox to do that. I'd always put my twin tails down to a freak mutation I'd been cursed with at birth, but the idea that I might be even more of a mutant than I'd thought previously made my pulse quicken markedly.

A nasty smile crossed Knuckles's face as he motioned in my direction again, "Didn't take you long to replace me, aye Sonic?"

Sonic's face hardened in a malicious glare, clearly not amused by the guardians attempt at humour, "Don't change the subject. Explain," his finger jabbed Knuckles in the chest, hard. "Now"

The hedgehog's hand was slapped away as the smirk dropped from the red one's face, a sullen look on his face, "I...I thought..."

He stopped himself with a growl, fists clenching as Sonic slowly folded his arms across his chest.

"Go on" Sonic remarked, coming across to me very much like a parent waiting on his child's explanation for his bad behaviour. It would have been funny if I wasn't hurting so much.

"I...I thought he was with Eggman!," Knuckles suddenly snapped, voice raised as if that was the most obvious answer in the world. "Okay? Satisfied?" he spat, a poisonous look aimed straight at me as he seemed to expect justification for his actions. As if it had been _my_ fault this whole thing had happened!

Sonic's expression was priceless, at least it would have been if not for my own outrage at the response, as I suddenly remembered the guttural accusations that had been thrown at me throughout my pummeling. This guy thought I was working for Eggman? The same person who was now out for my blood thanks to Sonic? How could he have...why would he...how stupid could...I had to stop myself before I burst a blood vessel, that vein in my temple throbbing again.

"You...thought..." Sonic finally spoke, words coming out slowly as he looked to be trying to process what he'd just been told, his face an incredulous mask. He took a sudden intake of breath, holding it for several seconds as his eyes shut tightly. I waited for the inevitable explosion as I saw Knuckles clearly tense up, awaiting the blue ones wrath.

The cobalt hedgehog released the breath slowly, eyes opening to look directly at Knuckles with a stern expression set on his face.

"Firstly...you're an idiot," Sonic stated as my hopes for an eruption of abject fury dissipated. Surely he wasn't going to lecture this psycho, my bruised body wanted a more forceful reaction than that!

"Secondly," he continued as I fumed silently, my eyes burning holes in the back of the guardian's head as he just stood there in admonishment. "You knew I was coming, so do you really think I'd let an Eggman crony get so far down here before he drew your attention?"

Knuckles's lips were a thin line as I could almost hear his teeth grinding together, clearly not used to being put down like this, especially not in front of someone he'd tried to grind into the dirt.

Sonic wasn't done yet, "Thirdly, even if Eggman was really, _really_ desperate...do you honestly think he'd send a kid to take _you_ on?" he cast a glance in my direction. "No offense, Tails"

I just nodded, not sure whether to take what he'd just said as an insult or not. Knuckles's shoulders dropped slightly as he seemed to take that answer into account. I swear I could almost hear the gears in his brain slowly turning, now that the adrenaline rush (or blood lust, I wasn't sure yet) seemed to be calming down.

"And, finally," Sonic took another deep breath, eyes closing again. He held it for a few seconds as Knuckles appeared to calm down completely, fists unclenched as he seemed to realize the danger had passed. He looked almost relieved at being let off so easily, my scowl not bothering him in the slightest as he glanced in my direction. I could almost hear his smug satisfaction, "_In your face, kid_" no doubt running through his head at being let off the hook despite what he'd done to me.

The sudden move from the blue one took me and red by surprise, as he grabbed Knuckles by the chest and pressed him hard against his peach chest, eyes wide open and glaring, "YOU...ARE...AN...IDIOT!"

My ears rang at the sudden outburst, wilting against my skull as I imagined the pain in the red ones eardrums at being right in the middle of Sonic's fury. The smug look in his eyes was now gone, replaced by immense surprise at being led into such a false sense of security. Was that panic in his eyes, fear even, of the blue hedgehog snarling directly in his face?

At least I'd gotten my 'eruption', smug satisfaction causing me to smile as I watched Knuckles squirm in Sonic's grip. The hedgehog for his part pushed himself away and just shook his head in disdain, watching as the guardian rubbed his ringing ears, red and tan face creased in pain as he sank to his knees.

"You just don't learn, do you?" Sonic clicked his tongue, arms folded once more as his sneaker tapped impatiently on the floor, waiting for the red ones dramatics to cease. "Typical Echidna, you _act_ first, _think_ later. Or in your case, not at all"

Echidna, so that was what species Knuckles was. The name didn't ring a bell with me at all, but it dispelled my previous thought that he was either a hedgehog or something completely unknown to medical science. I just hoped that there weren't any more of his sort creeping round out here, _one_ had been more than enough for a lifetime!

Knuckles snarled as he rubbed his head, one eye closed whilst the other leered at Sonic venomously. Blue eyelids dropped, giving him an extremely deadpan and uninterested expression as he appraised the fallen guardian.

"You did the same thing to me the first time we met, remember?" he muttered, sneaker ceasing its tapping. "Would have thought that little stunt would have knocked more sense into that thick skull of yours"

"Wait..." I spoke up, ignoring the pained Echidna for a second as Sonic's remark caught my caused me to gawp at him, "He did _this_ to you as well?" I said incredulously, gesturing at my various injuries. He couldn't be serious, could he?

The blue hedgehog nodded, "Oh yeah. Bruised ribs, a broken toe, two black eyes and one lost tooth" he counted each injury off on a finger, almost smiling as a look of nostalgia seemed to twinkle in his eyes. "Good times, aye Knuckles?"

The Echidna for his part just staggered to his feet, an accusing fist jabbing in cobalt's direction, "You were trespassing on my island!"

Sonic tutted "Exploring, not trespassing," he said, ignoring the spiked glove pointing at his chest. "Two _completely_ different things, I think you'll find"

I just shook my head, that vein in my temple really starting to throb now as my blood pressure continued to rise, "And...you're friends with him..._why,_ exactly?" I emphasized the 'why' with as much exasperation as I could muster.

He chuckled as he pressed a finger against Knuckles's fist, bending it slightly as he eyed the murderous Echidna, "I like a challenge, little buddy"

A challenge was one thing, but this was just ridiculous. This guy belonged in a sanitarium, not prowling around this island looking for incident people like me to assault. Well,_ relatively_ innocent, if you wanted to get technical...

Sharp white teeth were flashed in a sneer as Knuckles tilted his face towards Sonic's, "If my ears are bleeding, Sonic..."

"You'll have learned a valuable lesson, Knux" Sonic finished the sentence, pressing his own face forwards until their noses were almost touching.

It was almost surreal seeing these two literally going nose to nose with each other. Physically, Sonic was a lot trimmer than the Echidna and just barely shorter, but the way his eyes remained unblinking in the face of this more powerful individual was eerie. Those emerald eyes were as bright as ever, but there was something else in them as he eyeballed the guardian. A threatening twinkle, that was almost daring Knuckles to make the first move.

The tiniest bit of fang was evident in that smile of his, compared to the red ones full blown set. I hadn't noticed before, but Sonic's teeth were actually quite sharp. Nowhere near matching the Echidna's, but they could certainly do enough damage to someone if needed.

Several seconds past as I held my breath, waiting to see what would happen next. If it came to blows I wasn't sure who would end up on top, but I was already marking out the nearest hiding places...just in case.

The moment passed however as Sonic made the first move, tilting his forehead back and stepping aside from the guardian almost with a swagger. The Echidna just stood there as the cobalt hedgehog turned his back to him, hiding his teeth back behind his gums as his eyes followed Sonic's steps. I felt an immense surge of relief as he walked over and stood at my shoulder, pointing at me whilst keeping his gaze on Knuckles.

"So, just to make sure we're clear," he poked me in the shoulder. "Not a threat"

He used the same finger to point at Knuckles, a smile that was very nearly a sneer on his lips, "Idiot"

I cringed as I mentally shouted at Sonic not to antagonize the Echidna further, inching closer to his side as Knuckles's eyes flared at the insult, spiked gauntlets clenching until his gloves squeaked.

Sonic folded his arms, smile fading as I did my very best impression of a coiled spring, expecting the punches to start raining down on my head again thanks to the blue hedgehog. If it was all about to kick off again, I intended to be as close to him as possible this time.

"Are we clear?" he addressed the red one, quills flickering as a gentle breeze blew through the clearing.

"Sonic..." I spoke up, my voice heavy with worry as I felt a shiver run up my legs, my muscles tensing as my fight or flight instincts started to kick in. Instincts that had helped me well in the past were screaming at me to make a break for it, to run as fast as my bruised limbs could carry me. Either I was braver than I'd given myself credit for, or my legs were just frozen in panic.

A snort escaped the Echidna's nose as he looked away from Sonic's gaze, fiddling with the brim of his hat and pulling it further down his forehead.

My ears perked up as I saw his lips moving, red lidded eyes closing in concentration.

"_Tikal, give me strength_" I could just make out, his voice was so quite. I had no idea what he'd just said, but it seemed to calm him as tensed arms sagged, hands unclasping.

He titled his head back to eye me, his purple pupils slitted and that sneer still on his lips. I wondered if he'd noticed my eavesdropping on his whispering, flattening my ears back down just in case.

"Fine," he grunted, pointing back at me then Sonic in turn. "If he's with you," a brief glare in my direction, "And I'm still not convinced of that fact. But if he is... then I accept I was in the wrong"

Sonic's eyebrows rose, a puzzled expression crossing his face, "Wait...did I just hear you correctly?"

I was confused, what had Sonic expected him to say? He almost looked surprised, had he really been expecting Knuckles to retaliate? It certainly looked that way, but personally I was just thankful the Echidna seemed to have at least _some_ restraint. Even if it was just a little...

Sonic's confusion didn't last long however, as a _massive_ grin spread across his lips, teeth fully on display as he cocked his head.

"Did you just..._apologize_?" he chuckled, biting his bottom lip in apparent astonishment at what he'd heard. "I never thought I'd see the day!"

Knuckles pursed his lips so tightly I swear they turned white. His blood pressure must have been off the scale, seeing what I assumed to be a rare display of his humility being openly mocked by Sonic.

"Don't...push it...Sonic" the Echidna growled, spelling out each word slowly as Sonic's grin only seemed to get bigger as a result.

I tugged his peach furred arm sharply as I tried to calm the situation, "What are you doing? Are you trying to tick him off again?" I half whispered-half growled. The last thing I needed was this big-mouth re-starting the fight which he himself had only just defused! Especially when the threat in question was sporting _spiked gloves_ and several _sharp_ looking tools round his waist!

My body couldn't take another beating, I'd barely survived the last one!

I was starting to believe Sonic, unlike me, was a glutton for punishment, if he was this eager to push Knuckles's buttons right as the red one had apparently admitted defeat, albeit reluctantly. I was also finding it easier to understand why the guardian had apparently battered him when they'd first met! I was surprised Sonic still had any teeth left in his head, if this was the way he had acted!

Mercifully, Sonic seemed to realize that enough was enough, wiping an eyelid as he held a hand palm-up, "Okay, okay. I'll be the bigger man...and I'll accept your apology"

"_Not_ an _apology_" Knuckles snapped, jabbing his fist. "I admitted that I was in the wrong"

"Exactly," Sonic winked at the Echidna cockily. "And I accept your apology"

That was enough for me.

"Sonic, for the love of...!" I screamed, actually _screamed_. He jumped back in alarm and even Knuckles's eyes widened at my outburst. I gulped in air as my ribs screamed their protest, flicking the bangs from my face as Sonic looked at me in concern.

"Uhm...sorry, Tails" he looked at me sheepishly, unsure how to react as my breathing returned to normal. I shook my head and gestured with my hand.

"It's fine...sorry, I just...really don't want _him_ going nuts again" I pointed at the Echidna without even looking at him, hissing breath as my neck suddenly decided to resume its stinging. I heard a snort from the red one as Sonic put a hand on my shoulder, squeezing it reassuringly.

"He won't, okay?" He looked me in the eyes, those green orbs of his almost soothing as my frustration with him dissipated. How did he do that? I really needed to learn his secret, he was a master at getting people to forgive him with just one look...

A cough interrupted us as Knuckles turned our attention back to him.

"Here" he threw something at me which Sonic caught in mid-air. A tube of amber-coloured liquid, luminescent in the dark light, with a metal screw cap.

"Rub that over your neck and anywhere else that hurts, it'll help" the Echidna remarked, not looking at me as I took the tube from Sonic, eying it with suspicion. I didn't trust anything that glowed, especially when I didn't trust the guy who'd given it me in the first place.

He tutted loudly as he caught my look of unease "It's not poisonous, if that's what you're so worried about. Use it, don't use it, I really don't care"

I unscrewed the lid slowly and help it up to my nose, creasing my face as the strong smell hit me instantly. Antiseptic with a strong citrus background that burned my nostrils. Sonic's nose wrinkled as well as he not so discreetly took a few steps away. I resealed the cap and looked back at the guardian.

"Thanks, I'll...I'll use it later" I pocketed it in my pants, rubbing my nose to get rid of the last traces of the smell.

"Now that we've got _that_ out of the way..."Knuckles spoke up again, pointing at Sonic and resuming his ignoring of me. "You and me. We've got business to discuss"

Sonic snorted as he gave me a final look of reassurance, running his hand through his quills and causing them to flop in disarray. _Further_ disarray, I should say.

"Tsk, just like you Knux," he put his hands to his hips and balanced himself on his heels. "Always business, never any pleasure. You really need to work on that"

I lifted my hand up in a slight wave, catching the guardians attention, "Uhm, yeah...hi. I'm...I'm still here too, just to let...let you know" I mumbled the last part, as the look he gave me made me want to shrivel back into my shell.

"I invited Sonic..." he flared his nostrils, looking down at me as I shrank back. "Not you...kid"

"Ah!" Sonic exclaimed, and I was very thankful for it as violet eyes went from me to cobalt in a split second. "So now we're close to getting an explanation!" In the few moments my gaze had been away from him, Sonic's shades had returned to his face, reflecting the torch-light as he grinned. I was again baffled as to how he could see with those things in such limited lighting, but if it made him happy...

Knuckles smirked, flashing a single tooth as he resumed ignoring me, all attention back on Sonic, "So, you _are_ interested in why I asked you here?" he ran a hand round the brim of his hat. "Good, you were starting to worry me"

Sonic slowly walked over to the guardian, beginning to walk round him in a circle, turning his neck in order to keep facing the red one.

"A mysterious summons? No clues, no explanations?" he stopped his pacing and cracked his neck, the Echidna's face reflected in his shades. "How could I refuse?"

I might as well have not been there, the way these two were eying each other. If it was true, and Knuckles _was_ the 'Guardian' that me and Sonic had been looking for, the same guy who the hedgehog had apparently not seen in years...they weren't showing it. It was like they'd slipped back into their old routine without any effort at all. It was so surreal to observe, two completely different personalities gelling so well and bouncing off one another with no effort at all.

Knuckles was fumbling with his belt as I just stood and watched, noticing for the first time the numerous pouches it held round the back. What they held I had no idea, but he was snapping several open as he continued to grin at Sonic silently.

"So..." the blue one titled his shades down, "Don't keep me in suspense. What have you got for me, Knux?"

The Echidna didn't answer, instead just reaching his glove into one of the opened pouches on his belt and removing what was inside. He gripped his fist tightly around whatever it was, before throwing it at Sonic's feet. It hit the ground with a thud, a metallic clang reaching my ears as I looked at what the guardian had revealed.

I inhaled a breath so sharply I felt my jaw crack. There on the ground, the glare from the torches gleaming over it, was a gold medallion. I don't mean some tiny little thing either, this was the thickest piece of gold I'd ever clapped eyes on! A heavy chain of gold links with a jeweled pendant hanging from the end, a dazzling green that sparkled with an unearthly glow. How had Knuckles hidden that in that tiny little pouch of his?

I felt my fingers tingling again, that old familiar feeling creeping through my nerves as my tongue licked over suddenly dry lips, pulse escalating. I tore my gaze from the beautiful treasure on the floor to see Sonic's reaction, but I was disappointed. He was looking at the medallion with an expression I would have classed as 'bored', his shades low on his nose as his eyes ran over it before pushing them back over his eyes.

"Pretty," he remarked, and I barely kept my mouth shut. Was he serious? Did he just say that about a piece of jewelery I would have previously done anything in my power just to hold? Hell, I would have done anything, _anything_ to have been able to slip that gold beauty into my pocket. I couldn't even begin to imagine what kind of price I could have flogged it for, but to see Sonic's reaction you'd think that Knuckles had chucked an empty can of beans at his feet.

"That the best reaction I'm gonna get?" Knuckles seemed to share my attitude to Sonic's dismal reaction, his brow furrowed as he reached into another pouch. My eyes snapped to his belt as his glove pulled out another object, flicking it to the floor to land in the dirt next to the medallion. This time it was a bracelet, solid silver with what I assumed were hieroglyphs decorated round the edges. It was quickly followed by two chunky rings, so heavy they made imprints in the ground as they were tossed at Sonic's sneakers.

Okay, this guy might have been a psycho, but if he had access to this kind of stuff I was _more_ than willing to reconsider my opinions. As my eyes bulged almost out of their sockets, Sonic just stood there as the little pile of jewelery at his feet grew in size, silently watching as Knuckles finally folded his arms, all his pouches now apparently empty.

The blue hedgehog ran a gloved finger under his nose, tapping the pile with the toe of his sneaker as I just tried not to drool, little things like the pain in my body now forgotten about.

"Hydro-City?" he spoke up, reaching down to slip one of the rings round his index finger, so big it didn't even come close to fitting.

"Nope" Knuckles shook his head, a satisfied look on his face.

Sonic slipped the ring off and tossed it to me, my hands fumbling as I grabbed it and held it close, determined not to drop it. I opened my palms the tiniest bit to glimpse at the hidden treasure inside, my ears perking as a heavy rattling noise caught my attention.

The medallion was now hanging round Sonic's neck, his gloved hands running down its length which hung almost to his knees.

"Sky Sanctuary?" he lifted up the jewel at the end, turning it from side to side as he waited for Knuckles to answer his apparent question.

The Echidna shook his head again, "You're getting warmer" he remarked, clearly enjoying Sonic's guessing.

I didn't know what they were talking about, what these places Sonic was mentioning were, or what it had to do with all the jewellery the guardian had unveiled. But I was keen to find out, especially if there was a chance of seeing more. My inner con-artist was _especially_ keen.

Sonic removed the medallion and let it drop to the floor, a heavy thud resulting as well as another groove in the dirt. He scratched his ear as he took his shades off, tapping his lips in thought as he clearly put a lot of effort into his next answer.

"Got it," he finally grinned, pointing at Knuckles in triumph. "Sandopolis. I'm right, aren't I?"

Knuckles's grin was almost scary, his head shaking as Sonic's triumphant expression faltered, "Not even close"

Sonic looked absolutely stumped, his eye twitching as he ran a glove through his quills in exacerbation. For my part I just stood there, keeping my tight hold on the ring in my hands as the expression on Knuckle's face started to get on my nerves. Talk about smug...

"Okay, I give up" cobalt shrugged his shoulders, pointing at the jewels accusingly as he eyed the red one in clear frustration, "Where'd you find it?"

The Echidna didn't answer right away, instead reaching into the cuff of his glove. Despite how chunky those things were, he wasn't having any trouble gripping things from the look of it. A folded slip of paper was revealed, held between his thumb and fore-finger. It was worn round the edges, a dull yellow next to the immaculate white glove holding it. Sonic eyed it suspiciously, squinting in thought.

"Is that...?"

Knuckles nodded slowly, tossing the paper to Sonic who grabbed it in mid-air. A slow grin formed on the hedgehogs face as he fingered it, holding it up to his face as if he could see right through to whatever was hidden beneath. I waved a hand to try to get his attention, my effort in vain as he instead focused on opening the paper.

"What is it?" I asked, noting the sudden light that flared up in those green eyes as he unveiled whatever it was Knuckles had given him. It was a map, torn and blotted in places, the dim light not helping me suss out what it was that was exciting Sonic so much.

Emerald green met violet as Sonic grinned at the Echidna, "So...you found it then?"

Another nod from the Guardian, "Started digging just over a fortnight ago. You think that stuff I've shown you is impressive?" he glanced at the now forgotten jewels on the floor for a moment before turning back to Sonic " You ain't seen even a quarter of what I've pulled up!"

That tingle ran up my spine again as I edged closer to my blue friend, realizing now just what exactly was on the map held so lovingly in his hands. Sonic didn't seem to notice as I peeked over his shoulder, my excited breath ruffling the fur on his neck.

"Hidden Palace" he whispered, my ears perking at the tone of his voice. It was a combination of awe, and something else...nostalgia perhaps? Whatever this place was, and I still couldn't make out much on the map, it was clearly the place where Knuckles had found his stash of loot. The word 'palace' alone had me tingling all over.

From what I could see the map showed a huge chamber of some kind, the titular 'Palace' looking like an architects blue prints. Numerous lines and coloured sections all in different shades of ink were scrawled over the paper, x-marks dotted here and there in what I assumed was pencil. It wasn't exactly a treasure map like I'd been expecting, my eyes hurting slightly as I tried to make anything out that made sense to me liek it apparently did for the other two.

A large area at the bottom was circled but was otherwise blank, giving no impression of there being anything there. I guessed that was where Knuckles had found his hoard of jewels, but there wasn't a handy 'X marks the spot' to confirm my suspicions.

I jumped back as Sonic refolded the map with a rush of paper, flicking it back at Knuckles who deftly caught it.

"So, the great Treasure Hunter found another goldmine?" the suspicious look had returned to his face as the Echidna re-pocketed the map, "Still doesn't explain why you called me out here"

Was that a look of hurt that crossed Knuckles's face for a second? No, couldn't be. Trick of the light, had to be.

"_Hidden Palace_ not enough of a hint for ya?" he said as his eyebrows lowered, arms crossing as he waited for the hedgehog to answer.

"Hey, I got a soft spot for the place. You already know that," cobalt replied, casually gripping my wrist which I took to be a sign to let go of the ring I'd been holding all this time. My palm felt empty as I returned it.

"But why's this dig so different? What did you find that was so impressive you needed to call me after all this time?"

I wanted to find out the answer to that question as much as Sonic. If Knuckles was apparently also an amazing 'treasure hunter', I was keen to find out what exactly he had discovered that was so _impressive_. Suddenly the jewellery on the ground wasn't so enthralling to me. Fickle little thing, aren't I?

"I'll show up" was the reply, a large gold ring now slowly circling round the red ones finger. Where had that come from?

Sonic's face lit up like a kit at Christmas, "Warp Ring!" he exclaimed, voice several pitches higher than normal.

"Best way to travel" was the gruff reply, though a smile was on the Echidna's lips as he held the ring in his grip up.

It was as big as a bracelet and just as thick, a perfect circle with no patterns or design marring its circumference. I again wondered just where exactly the red one had pulled that thing out from, but I was too busy being bemused by Sonic's reaction to it. If he didn't get excited over much better looking jewels, what was it about this one ring that had him so giddy?

His eyes sparkled as he looked at me excitedly, "Oh, Tails little buddy! You are gonna love this!"

I didn't know how to react, I really didn't. Here was a guy who was normally so cool and laid back, yet in the last few minutes I'd seen him shift from full blown rage to childlike excitement. I wasn't used to being around someone like him for so long, the best I could do right then was return his smile as he pulled me against himself in a one-armed bear hug.

"The kids coming with us?" Knuckles's remark halted the hedgehogs giddy spell, that arm round my shoulders holding me even closer as he eyed the guardian.

"_Of course_ he is," Sonic's answer was low and edged, hinting that the red one should avoid bringing the subject up again in cobalt's presence. A warm feeling ran through me, grateful for his almost brotherly defense.

Knuckles huffed at the reply, but otherwise seemed to accept it as he walked over to us, "On your head be it"

"It always is" a cheeky smirk from the hedgehog as the guardian walked over, holding the ring out as if for the hedgehog to take it.

"So, what exactly is going to happen now?" I asked timidly, unsure now what exactly was going to happen. If, I assumed, we were heading to this Hidden Palace, how were we going to get there? The Tornado was a long ways off and I didn't fancy another trek through the jungle, even if there was someone else along for the ride.

Sonic beamed as he caught my look of puzzlement, pointing at the ring held in the Echidna's hand, "We're gonna use _this_, bud"

I looked from it to him slowly, making sure I'd just heard him correctly, "A _ring_?"

"A really special ring" the hedgehog replied, taking it from Knuckles and holding it up to my eyes. "It's called a Warp Ring. Any place you need to get to, anywhere at all, this little baby will take you there" he snapped his fingers. "Just like that!"

I raised an eyebrow as I looked over every square inch of the ring inches from my face, expecting it to sprout wings at any second, "You're serious?"

He gave me a look, nodded assuredly as he ran his fingers over the Warp Ring, "All the stuff I've shown you so far, you really think I'd pull a fast one _now_?" he slapped my back to prove his point. "Na-ah, I'm not that kind of guy"

The ring was snatched from Sonic's hand as Knuckles cleared his throat, drawing the hedgehogs attention back to him as the Echidna flicked it into the air like a coin. I watched it spin in the air, the flames from the torches shimmering across it as it began to fall back to earth.

Except, it didn't fall back to earth. As my eyes stayed on it, the Warp Ring began to glow. A brilliant white light enveloped it, a low whining noise slowly building as the glow intensified. My mouth slowly fell as the white glare dissipated, a shimmering yellow now spiraling in the middle like a vortex. Or a portal.

Sonic nudged me with his elbow, my gaze still focused on the display that had just taken place, "Told you I wasn't kidding"

I watched as Knuckles strode forward, one leg lifting up before stepping into the portal, the limb disappearing right up to his knee.

"Well?" he gestured with his arm, whether at me or Sonic or both of us I wasn't sure. "You coming or not?"

I felt my lungs burning as I realized I'd been holding my breath, letting it out quickly as I took in the sight of the red Echidna with half his leg missing in a spiraling vortex that had no right to exist. My previous world view? Completely gone.

Sonic's arm returned to my shoulders, a comforting weight that I tried to focus on instead of the impossible sight in front of me.

"You ready buddy?"

I don't know if I nodded, I know I didn't make a noise at least. But as my heart went ten to the dozen against my rib cage, I felt my feet begin to move.

"_Well,_" my thoughts echoed as my chest tightened with anxiety. "_Here we go Tails_"

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><p><strong>Next time in Sonic: Year One- Tails has taken the plunge! What will he find on the other side? What is the secret of The Hidden Palace, and will Sonic and Knuckles keep their emotions in check long enough to find out? All will be revealed soon!<strong>

**Don't forget to review guys! Joe.  
><strong>


	5. Travel Sickness

Greetings yall! Joe Stalin here, bringing you Part 5 of **'The Guardian'**! So sorry for the long delay guys, hope this chapter makes up for it!

Sonic and Tails's exploration of the Floating Island continues, as our heroes delve inside the mysterious Hidden Palace! Is Tails ready to experience his first Warp Ring journey, and what lies on the other side? Only one way to find out!

**Note: **To get the full story behind this new series, please read '**_The Fox, The Gem and The Hedgehog_**' and _**'New Surroundings'**_ first.

**Disclaimer:** I do not, nor indeed will I ever, own Sonic or any other SEGA characters. Quote taken from Lewis Carroll. This fic is written purely for enjoyment.

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><p><strong><span>Sonic: Year One<span>**

**The Guardian**

**Travel Sickness  
><strong>

_"If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there."_

You ever had that happen to you? Random quotations that pop into your head for no reason, which suddenly seem appropriate to the situation _y_ou find yourself in? Well, this was one of those occasions. And right there and then, though I couldn't remember where I'd read it from, truer words couldn't have been said.

I had no idea what lay beyond that dazzling light show which Knuckles had magically conjured up. And yes, I did say _magic._ That was the only way I could describe it, how a guy could make a portal appear out of thin air using only a gold ring. A 'Warp Ring' as Sonic had put it, but it might as well have been a magic wand as far as I was concerned.

I was quickly coming round to the concept of magic. Heck, right now it was the only sane way I could describe it, the only way I could rationalize most of the stuff I'd been exposed to in the last twenty four hours which seemed so normal to Sonic. How could he take all this in his stride? What kind of sane person, _metaphorically_ speaking in Sonic's case, could accept this insanity as if it was an everyday occurrence? How was it that I'd been so ignorant, so blind to all this wonder that I was being subjected to by my blue friend?

How could I ever look at the world the same way again after this? Had Sonic been like me once? Had he believed that he knew everything about the world, how everything worked and what existed and didn't, until that one day when everything changed? I had to make a note to remember to ask him, once all this was over.

Once I'd stepped into the portal.

Sonic's hand was like a feather on my shoulder, gently urging me on. I barely felt it. I had no idea what to expect beyond the spiral, what it'd feel like to go through and whether it would hurt or not. I hoped it wouldn't, I'd suffered enough pain tonight already and was in no desperate need for more.

"Nothing to worry about, little buddy" My cobalt friends voice was soft in my ear, calm and reassuring. It helped slightly, but my body still remained tense, pulse throbbing as I licked dry lips with an equally dry tongue.

Knuckles looked at my sluggish approach with a look on his face bordering on disdain. His leg remained inside the centre of the warp hole up to the knee, somehow keeping his balance though I doubted he was leaning it on anything on the other side. I hadn't noticed before but his trilby was sporting a long white feather in the brim, matching his chest fur. Seems like somebody liked to make their own accessories...

A gruff growl vibrated in his throat, my ears not having to be perked in order to hear it.

"Any time kid," he barked, causing me to cringe and quicken my pace the slightest bit. "Not getting any younger here"

"Shut it, Knux" Sonic's response deepened the Echidna's scowl, but I was grateful for it all the same. "Give him a break"

The look in those violet eyes made it very clear what kind of 'break' Knuckles wanted to give me, but he kept quiet. Instead, without another word spoken, he turned his head away and stepped fully into the portal. In a flash of yellow, the crimson Echidna was swallowed up. Gone.

The portal shimmered briefly, its yellow glow slowly shifting to a dazzling white. The darkness of the jungle was suddenly illuminated, thick shadows casting off my body and swallowing up everything else around us. Not a single sound broke through, as if the entire island was holding its breath now its Guardian had vacated its premises.

"Neat trick, huh?" Sonic's question to me went unanswered as I concentrated on repeating what Knuckles had just done. It looked so simple, just step into the light and appear...wherever it was we were going. I assumed that it was 'Hidden Palace' just beyond the impressive light display, though to be honest at this point I was expecting just about anything.

Just step into the portal. So simple. So why was I absolutely terrified, despite Sonic's reassurances?

My heart was beating out a samba as I finally stopped, barely a foot away from the shimmering glow. My fur was illuminated, white light catching the lenses of the aviator goggles on my head like a prism. My tails were bunching up in a knot, fingers and toes creased as I struggled to force myself to take the final step. Was a mountain of treasure really worth all this stress? I was starting to have my doubts.

Sonic stood at my shoulder, a wicked grin on his face in stark contrast to my own petrified expression. Either he was enjoying this or...no, scratch that. He was enjoying this, no doubt about it.

His fur glowed almost ethereally as he turned his head to look at me, emerald eyes shimmering. Thick shadows under his eyelids gave him a look of someone possessed, coupled with his unkempt quills and that grin plastered on his lips, which was doing wonders for my already frayed nerves. Forget Tom Sawyer, right then and there the blue hedgehog looked like the devil himself.

"You ready?" he spoke up finally, breaking the illusion. I ran my tongue slowly across my lips again as I looked from him to the portal in turn.

"Would you believe me...if I said I was?" I answered, surprising myself that I'd managed to crack a sarcastic remark despite my brain feeling like it was on auto-pilot.

"Probably" he winked, my lip twitching as I almost smiled back.

"That's reassuring to know" I inhaled deeply, at least he could see I was trying to keep my hysterics in check. The whole 'scared out of my wits' scenario was starting to get old by now, but what did he expect if he was going to keep throwing me these impossible curve-balls? A guy could only take so much...

A thought struck me as my foot inched closer to the precipice, Sonic's eyes looking at me expectantly as I tried to stall for time.

Considering how much effort and time we'd gone through to get here, the blisters on my feet being the most painful reminder, I was surprised that we were leaving Mystic Ruins so soon. I know that Sonic had said we only needed to get there in order to meet Knuckles, but my curiosity was peaked enough to warrant at least a brief explanation. Enough to delay the inevitable at least, even if it was just for a second longer...

"So...what about Mystic Ruins? What was that thing that was so important you went off to investigate?" I asked, planting my feet firmly as I swore the portal tried to coax me closer, tugging at me with its invisible tendrils.

Or maybe I was imagining it. I _hoped_ I was imagining it, the last thing I wanted was for this thing to turn out to be _alive_ on top of everything else...

His smile flickered as he turned his attention from me to the portal briefly, brow furrowing as he clearly remembered what had been put on the back-burner up until now. I knew that look. It was the same look he'd had when we'd been overlooking the ruins earlier. That unsure, questioning look that someone like him wasn't supposed to have. A guy who knew everything suddenly coming across something he had no answer to.

Images of the city flashed through my mind, of those giant temples and ancient decaying statues. Of that altar that had seemed to have been missing something from it. Something important...

"I'm not sure yet..." he muttered half-aloud, chewing his bottom lip in thought as he lowered his shades back over his eyes. "But I intend to find out, bud"

I couldn't delay any longer, that little act of putting his shades back on had confirmed that I'd run out of stalling time. He had questions of his own that needed answering, and I was delaying him from getting those answers by not stepping into the portal. I knew he wouldn't say it, but it was blatantly obvious. I had to step inside.

"So," Sonic gestured at with his thumb, and I swear he was tingling with excitement. "Feeling nervous?"

I felt my eye twitching as I tried to comprehend if he'd actually just asked me that question.

"...yeah" I replied after a pause, nodding my head slowly as if I had to answer that question to start with. His grin just got wider.

"Got that tingling feeling in your stomach?" he wiggled his fingers for emphasis. "Feeling those butterflies in your chest?"

My tails were completely knotted together by now, that twitch in my eye only getting worse as I tried to willingly keep my voice down.

"Uh-huh" I shuddered as the portal danced in my vision. My fur was getting hot again, brow glistening despite the cold chills in the pit of my stomach.

My tormentor wasn't through, on the contrary he looked like he was only getting started judging by the manic look in his eyes.

"Sweaty palms? Tightness in the chest? Fur on end?" his eyebrows lifted with each question. "Got that feeling that you just want to run and run as far away from here as possible?"

My bottom lip was bleeding by the time my teeth had ceased their grinding, ears pinned so far down on my head I swear they were trying to bury themselves into my skull. It was all I could do to keep my knees from giving out underneath me as I looked squarely at my blue torturer.

"...you could say that...yeah" I was amazed I managed to get so many words out before I clamped my muzzle shut, waiting for his verbal attacks to continue.

They didn't.

His look softened as his arm returned to my shoulders, shaking me slightly as I leaned _very_ heavily against him.

"Yeah," his voice was back to comforting levels, which I preferred so very much to his giddy brat schtick. "I had the same when I made my first trip"

I looked at him with slitted eyes, not prepared to let him get off so lightly after the state he'd reduced me to with his teasing.

"Has anyone ever told you...you're a _lousy_ motivator?" I sneered, putting as much venom into the words as I could muster.

I'm sure it took a lot of guts for him to up and admit that he'd been just as scared once, that he hadn't always been the cocky super-confident hero. But I was emotionally drained by this point, thanks mainly to him, and wasn't in the mood to be nice. Miles had never been nice, and I was surprised that I hadn't gone the full hock and thrown in some choice swear words at the cobalt one for good measure.

I must have really wanted to give this 'good guy' thing a try.

If I'd expected Sonic to rise to my malice I was sorely disappointed. That smile of his stayed fixed, eying me like an elder brother would his petulant sibling. His grip on my shoulders only tightened, hugging me closer to his side. I didn't protest, didn't so much a squirm. I just exhaled deeply and forced the tiniest of smiles, all thoughts of painful revenge forgotten. God help me, I'd gone soft. Or I was mentally exhausted, one of the two.

"_Hey!_" the sudden voice snapped me back to earth with a jolt, my eyes swiveling back to the portal that was still spiraling almost impatiently. "_You guys coming or not?_"

Sonic rolled his eyes, lifting his hand to the side of his mouth "We're coming, we're coming!" his voice almost echoed as it passed down the spiraling tunnel. "Keep your pants on!"

I wanted to make the not so subtle point that neither of them were wearing pants to begin with, but I decided against it. Last thing I wanted was for Sonic to shove me through head-first in retribution if he didn't take kindly to my remark.

He turned to look at me as he no doubt felt my shoulders tensing "Don't panic, it's only a little temporal distortion. Nothing to get concerned about"

I wasn't sure if he was being serious or not with that comment. Didn't really want to ask him either.

"Oh...right. Nothing...nothing to worry about then..." I mumbled, my lips twitching in what I hoped was a convincing attempt at a smile as my voice tailed off.

He squeezed my shoulder, edging my upper body forward as my legs remained glued to the floor. Somehow they hadn't got the message yet that time was up.

"Don't worry. I'll be right behind you"

That wasn't as reassuring as I'm sure he intended it to be. But bless him for trying.

"Is it...is it always like this, Sonic?" I stuttered suddenly, one last delay before the jump into the precipice. Man, I was really easy to scare these days! Miles would be so embarrassed, but he'd never had to experience anything like _this_...

"How'd you mean?" the blue hedgehog replied, not taking his hand off me in the meantime as he seemed determined to push me in, if the nudging on my shoulder was any indication.

"Well...is it always this_...weird_ and _crazy_...?" my feet took a tentative step, Sonic's resolve breaking my unwillingness to move, "...or is this just a one off? Just...just wondering"

Sonic's warm breath blew over my quivering ear, as the tips of my sneakers barely kissed the surface of the portal.

"Nah," I could hear the amusement in his voice without having to turn my head to look at him. "Sometimes...it gets _really_ exciting!"

No further words were spoken, as with my guard down, and with the lightest of pushes...I fell.

I tumbled straight into oblivion...

* * *

><p>How can I describe something dear reader, which is so...<em>impossible<em> to describe?

Impossible was probably the best word. And insane. Heck, just about every word for madness under the sun combined couldn't have come close to describing what those few seconds in the void felt like. Throw in terrifying as well, and you'd been about a quarter of the way there.

But it also felt _amazing_.

My body was awash with sensation, every hair on my body alive with static as I tumbled for what felt like eternity. Colours that didn't have names to them shimmered and sparkled, invading my senses and leaving me reeling. I was blinded by them, but my eyes remained open, my retinas burning as they attempted to absorb every detail they could.

I wasn't thinking, my head felt as light as cotton as my brain finally decided now was the time to give up the ghost. Too much to process, my mind was literally blown.

I wasn't walking, I was falling. Twisting and turning, my muscles burning and flexing. I wanted to cry out, to yell, to force any sound at all to escape my throat. But I was speechless, my silent screams echoing only in my head as I fell so far...

* * *

><p>The grunt of surprise was wrenched from me as my hands hit solid stone, pain lancing up to my elbows as I somehow managed to keep myself from collapsing chest first. I panted and gasped on my hands and knees, eyes shut tight. I was tingling all over, shivering from head to toe as I tried not to curl into a fetal position. I was battered, I was bruised, and I was...not breathing?<p>

My eyes snapped open as my lungs burned, realizing that I'd been holding my breath all this time. I gulped in huge intakes of air with a choke as the blood rushed back, sensation returning to my fingertips and joints. My forehead was wet with sweat, my neck hot and stinging where it had been lacerated by Knuckles. A line of drool dripped from the corner of my mouth as I struggled to survey my new surroundings with blurry eyes.

We were inside, that alone was pretty clear, cold stone under my palms and bruised knees. The humidity from before was now a chill that tickled through my fur to the skin below. My eyesight was still bad, but the whole place was so dark I'd have been hard pressed to see much anyway. A glass lantern hung from a rusted hook on the wall, the single candle burning a sickly yellow.

I couldn't hear much of anything, only the blood thundering through my temples and the spatter of drool from my mouth splashing onto the stone beneath me. Gross.

My vision focused on a pair of multicolored boots emerging from the gloom. I very nearly groaned as the heavy footfalls caused my headache to return. Thud, thud, thud...ouch.

"About time," Knuckles snarled as he stepped right up to me, my nose almost touching his boot tip. "So, you intend to just sit there all day?"

In the time between him entering the Warp Ring and my arrival the Guardian had changed his attire, now sporting a brown leather jacket zipped up the front, white fur trim round the collar. A rucksack hung lazily over one shoulder, bulky and full looking. Still no pants though, the word 'modesty' was apparently foreign to the Echidna.

"Ugh...oh, my head..." I ran a hand through my bedraggled bangs, my ears hanging limp.

Knuckles snorted as I staggered upright, my struggles going unaided as he folded his arms, the brow of his hat casting a shadow across his face. Violet eyes burned brightly in the dimness.

"Pathetic" he muttered, not even trying to hide it as I raised up to my full height, my tails hanging lifelessly behind me as I continued to shiver. I must have looked a mess, fur matted and more bruises on me than a trauma patient. Still, that remark stung just as much as my other injuries.

I glared at him as I placed a hand round the back of my neck, feeling the hot moistness there and no doubt staining my glove all the more as I ground my teeth together.

"What is your problem?" I didn't want to start this again, but his voice was really starting to get under my skin. Couldn't he see I was still sore, thanks largely to him I might add, and wasn't in the mood to spar? Didn't he care that I'd just gone through an experience that I wasn't even close to recovering from yet, not used was I to all this bizarro stuff like he and Sonic were?

Stupid question, of course he didn't.

"Right now..._you_" he replied, flicking a loose dreadlock from across his shoulder, now looking incredibly bored by my presence. "I invited Sonic here, not you. I don't even know why he brought you along"

He turned his back to me, tail flicking dismissively as he continued, "You don't belong here..._kid_" he spat the last word out with as much bile as he could.

That did it. Treasure Hunter, Guardian or whatever, I really didn't care anymore. This guy was a thug, plain and simple, and I'd had enough of his crap.

All thoughts of treasure were forgotten as I squared up to the Echidna, my shivering limbs surprisingly compliant. He lifted a bored looking eye up in reaction.

"Look..." I stabbed a finger at him, my eyes locked on the welt still clear on his cheek from my earlier tail swipe. "Unless you want another one of those," I ran a finger down my cheek to illustrate the point "on your other cheek...you'd better _leave...me...alone_"

I think he got the message.

His bored expression melted in a flash, eyes burning a darker shade of purple. His fists clenched up and his teeth were bared as I instantly regretted my defiance, an ominous step from him causing my own feet to scuttle backwards. The rucksack was flung aside as he glared at me.

"You smug...smart mouthed..." he seemed to hit the limit of his vocabulary as he instead concentrated on making himself look as intimidating as possible. It was working, if the ice bucket in my stomach was anything to go by.

"You know..." I felt the sweat trickling down my neck as I tried to stand my ground. "I'm really getting tired of going round in circles with you. You don't even know me!"

He snorted under his breath as his eyes slitted, fangs still on show, "Don't need to. I know a _punk_ when I see one"

Yeah, _I_ was the punk. This guy clearly didn't look in mirrors very often.

"Not to mention..." he clicked his teeth and span his finger round slowly, lowering his gaze down to my tails, "A _freak_"

That hurt, that one actually stung to my core. I hated that word, I'd been called it enough to have it forever imprinted like an unwanted tattoo. Or a scar.

"_Don't...call me that_" I snarled, my voice low and husky as he continued to sneer, obviously knowing that he'd hit a nerve with me. My arms were shaking as I clenched my fists, wanting so badly to smack this guy for all he'd done to me today, even if I got smeared across the wall for my troubles.

Further bloodshed was thankfully avoided, as a sudden flash of white drew our attention away from each other, blinding my still smarting eyes anew.

I'd completely forgotten that the warp hole was still open, and that we were still expecting someone to join us. A sound that could only be described as a 'sizzling' crackled through the air as the spiral shimmered brightly, a familiar sneaker breaking through its surface.

A blurred shape came into view, a pair of emerald green eyes emerging against the white.

"Miss me?" Sonic wiggled his eyebrows as he walked out of the portal, both hands behind his back as he calmly surveyed his surroundings. The portal span for a brief moment longer before, without so much as a crackle, it faded out of sight. The wall behind it just wasn't quite as interesting in contrast.

I flashed him a smile as he stepped over to me and the Echidna I'd done a wonderful job of enraging anew, creating a circle between the three of us. Knuckles leered at Sonic with a face that could sour a lemon.

"Good of you to show"

Sonic cocked his head and shrugged his shoulders, "Meh, you should know by now Knux..." I noticed his shades were folded in his hand, as he quickly snapped them on his head and lowered them as dramatically as he could. "I like to make an entrance"

"I've noticed" I muttered, loud enough for him to hear. He gave me a thumbs up in approval.

"And how are you feeling?" he asked me, blanking Knuckles completely as the Echidna fumed in silence.

"Yeah, I'm...I'm okay" I did my best to make the lie sound as genuine as possible. Knuckles's resulting snort made me cringe.

"Oh yeah, you look as fit as a friggin' fiddle"

Sonic pursed his lips, "Knux, what did I tell you about insulting the fox?" he said, his tone condescending like he was talking to a kid. "Bad, bad boy"

Angry purple eyes leered at the hedgehog "My island, I'll do what the hell I want" he cracked his knuckles for added measure, the sound echoing through the chamber.

"Whatever, Red" Sonic sniffed dismissively, flashing a quick grin at the Echidna as he seemed to notice something. "Loving the outfit though" I almost expected him to wolf whistle.

Knuckles didn't seem to take kindly to the comment, setting his jaw as the hedgehog wiggled his eyebrows at me.

"Pretty wild ride, yeah?"

"Err..." I struggled to form my words as I tried to adequately describe my experience as impressively as I could. "Wild, yeah. You...you could say that"

What can I say? I'm not much of a poet.

Sonic surveyed our surroundings with a twirl of his heels, Knuckles's sulky face watching him silently as the blue hedgehog bobbed on the balls of his feet. I was about to speak up to break the silence when his head snapped back round to look in my direction, his face suddenly crestfallen.

"Is that it?" he looked like an extremely disappointed child all of a sudden, his bottom lip stuck out.

I shook my head slowly, not sure what he was referring to or what he expected me to say. He lifted his hands up and waved them to illustrate his point, whatever it was.

"This!" he gestured around with a flap of his arms, then at me. "You! Seriously?"

I just looked at him, no doubt with an expression on my face that showed my confusion. The blue hedgehog sighed, taking off his shades. One emerald eye turned to Knuckles.

"Was I this unresponsive _my_ first time?"

Knuckles rolled his shoulders, pursing his eyes in apparent thought, "Nah. Actually, if I remember correctly you were..."

"You just traveled through subspace in a matter of seconds, bud!" Sonic cut off whatever the Echidna was about to say. "I reckon on the coolness factor that would be...well, off the scale!"

Knuckles's expression darkened as he suddenly grabbed Sonic's shoulder, "Actually, that's just reminded me of something..."

Sonic brushed off the Echdina's hand as he continued to press me for a response, "Come on, buddy! You gotta give me something better than _that_!"

I ran a hand over my brow as a wave of...something, suddenly swept over me. Was it just me, or was the room starting to spin?...

Knuckles was persistent "Sonic, you did tell him about...?"

"Not now Knux!" Sonic's voice was ringing in my ears, my vision going blurred as I pressed both hands to my face. "Tails, buddy seriously you gotta..."

Wow, all of a sudden I _really_ didn't feel well. My head was throbbing, saliva building in the back of my throat. A sudden cramp caused my knees to buckle, my stomach doing cartwheels as my breathing got heavier, palms pressed tightly over my face. Sonic seemed to take the hint.

"Tails...?"

My guts were on fire, vision swimming as a familiar sensation seized me up. I slapped a hand quickly across my mouth as my chest started heaving.

"Mmff!"

Knuckles's voice echoed through my head as I struggled against the inevitable, "Sonic, you didn't tell him?"

I couldn't hold it any longer. My knees gave out completely as my stomach betrayed me, the rest of my body following suit. My knees stung as they impacted with the floor, one arm extended out to hold me up as my neck went limp.

With a noise that I'm sure sounded as disgusting as I felt at that moment, I threw up.

I threw up hard.

Embarrassed wasn't quite the word I'd have chosen to describe the scene I was in right there and then. More like mortifying. Soul crushingly mortifying. I hadn't been sick since I was a kid, and certainly never in public. But there I was, in front of witnesses, in a place I could only imagine was ancient and with no desire for any wanton desecration, chucking up like a lightweight at a frat party. Dignity? What dignity?

I was amazed how much...'stuff' my stomach evacuated. I was pretty sure I hadn't eaten much that day, certainly not enough to warrant the sheer amount now painting the stone slabs. My tongue lolled out as I hung my head, bangs covering my eyes.

I was semi-aware of gentle hands on my back as my retching ceased, my breathing still heavy and slurred.

"Probably shoulda warned you about the side effects of warping from one place to another" Sonic rubbed my back as gunk continued to drool from my mouth. "Sorry"

I would have pointed out the obviousness of his statement if I could, but someone else got there before me.

"YOU THINK?" Knuckles's voice was like a thunder-crack, wilting my already shriveled dignity. "He just...threw up...EVERYWHERE!"

The Echidna's ranting continued out of my eyesight as the blue hedgehog patted my back, apparently ignoring the Guardian as he continued to hover at my side.

The hedgehog took this moment to reach into my pants pocket, removing the vial of liquid Knuckles had given me. With my back bent and head bowed, he had easy access to my neck as he started to rub the stuff into the wound on my scruff. It stung like hell as I suppressed a growl, the strong smell of the amber fluid burning my nose but thankfully overpowering the scent of sick. I was grateful for that, even if it couldn't physically hide it as well.

"Why didn't you tell him about the Warp effects, Sonic?" Knuckles demanded, his voice raised almost to a screech which was really doing a number on my poor eardrums. "Why did you wait until he...he..._violated_ the whole place?"

"I forgot, okay?" Sonic's response was sharp and curt, a final pat on my shoulders as he helped me to my feet. "I was kinda preoccupied at the time"

I ran a hand across my mouth as I kept my back to the pair of them, my forehead sticky with sweat. At least the sting in my neck was clearing, one less thing to worry about.

"HOW COULD YOU FORGET?" Knuckles shrieked. "He just threw up in a temple...THOUSANDS of years old...desecrated a sacred monument...AND I AM NOT...CLEANING...IT...UP!"

"Er, Knux?" Sonic pinched his thumb and finger together, ears wilted "You wanna turn the volume down for two secs? Thanks"

The taste of bile was strong in my throat as Sonic turned his attention from the livid Guardian back to me "You okay now, Tails?"

"Groo..." I mumbled, my mouth feeling disgusting as I shook my head to try to clear it. "What just...why did I...?"

Sonic was quick to respond to my slurring "Warp Rings...they mess you up a bit the first time you go through. Don't worry," he gave me a reassuring look. "First times always the worst"

I spat on the floor to rid my mouth of any last bits of sick, the taste still heavy in the back of my throat. "Urgh, that...that's exactly what...what I wanted to here right now. Thanks"

"Hey, look at it this way..." the blue hedgehog ruffled my head-fur, my face scrunching in reaction. "At least you didn't get any on yourself. Good job, pal!"

I was actually quite relieved I'd managed to keep my fur unblemished as I rubbed my temples, taking a few discreet steps away from where I'd voided my guts. I looked at Knuckles for the first time, biting my lip as I expected a verbal barrage to start falling. Or fists.

He looked like he was on the verge of tears, eyes livid as was clearly using every drop of restraint not to strangle me right there and then, not to mention trying to keep his eyes off the puddle of sick I'd deposited on the floor.

Sonic seemed completely oblivious "This'll cheer you up. You think that was embarrassing? You should have seen _my_ first time"

"Don't...even...say it" Knuckles growled, teeth grinding together so tightly I could almost hear them squeak.

"Did you throw up?" I asked meekly, my thoughts turning to trying to take the attention off myself, difficult though it was. Whatever Sonic was about to say was having a clear effect on Knuckles, which was at least drawing his rage away from me.

Sonic nodded, a big smile now on his face "Big time! In fact, I actually..."

"Don't you dare, Sonic!" Knuckles snarled, eyes burning holes in the hedgehogs head.

Sonic's smirk grew wider in response, eyes narrowing "I threw up on..."

"Don't!"

I could see where this was going, and I was slightly unnerved at how much I was enjoying this banter. Or maybe it was just that I enjoyed seeing the Guardian lose his rag. Who knew I had such a sadistic streak, huh?

Sonic tilted his head "Hey, Knuckles? What did you ever do with those boots anyway?"

I almost swear I could see steam coming from the Echidna's ears as I tried to suppress the smirk struggling to crack my face. I'd pushed my luck as far as I dared already.

"Have you...quite...finished?" Knuckles sneered after several long seconds of silence, the fire in his eyes smouldering.

Sonic grinned widely, nodding his head "Yeah, I think I'm done. Unless you want to contribute further?"

Knuckles only sneered, suppressing any further vocal response as he turned his back to us, walking back to where he'd unceremoniously discarded his rucksack. My ears perked as I heard him muttering under his breath.

"Tikal, give me strength..."

"Old place don't change much" the blue hedgehog was currently bobbing on his heels again, hands behind his back.

"I wouldn't know" I replied, smiling wryly as I flicked the bangs from in front of my eyes. My sarcasm had returned now that my embarrassment was _slowly_ retreating.

Sonic's ears twitched as he nodded, his neck craning round as he casually looked round the chamber, "Not yet, bud. But you will"

A clicking sound drew my attention back towards Knuckles, the Echdina currently bent down as he rummaged through his rucksack. I lifted myself up to my tiptoes as I tried to get a closer look. Whatever he had inside that bag it was heavy, and I hadn't quite forgotten about the promise of treasure that had so far alluded me. I hadn't given up hope yet that by the end of the day, all my pain and suffering hadn't been in vain.

My blue friend seemed to notice as well as he ceased his bobbing, hands still behind his back as he leaned forwards, feet still planted to the floor.

"Found anything in your sack yet, Knux?" he asked with a sarcastic tinge. "I don't think there's enough room in there for 'you know what'!"

The Guardians response was a single grunt, digging deeper into his rucksack as he seemed to grow impatient, whatever he was looking for continuing to elude him.

"What do you mean...'you know what'?" I asked as cobalt continued to watch the echidna's struggle in amusement.

Sonic's eyes widened the slightest bit as he seemed to realize he'd said too much "Ah...trade secret, pal" he smiled in apology.

My eyes narrowed in reaction, my finger jabbing him in the shoulder "How about you tell me now?" I responded, not intending to let him get off that easily.

"All in good time, Tails" Sonic didn't look at me as he responded, his attention completely focused on Knuckles. The Guardian had snapped every pouch on his rucksack open, assorted junk now piling up on the floor as he pulled each item out and tossed it aside. Just how big was that bag anyway...?

"Sonic..." I started, my voice surprising even me at how tired it sounded. "I've been through a lot today"

He turned his head slowly, ignoring Knuckles who now looked like he was trying to stick his entire upper body inside his bag. My reflection swam in those big eyes of his.

"I've been...battered, exhausted, scared out of my wits...and that's not even getting started on all the stuff that's happened to me today" I hoped I didn't sound as whiny to him as I thought I did to myself. "Just...just tell me now what I've gotten myself into by hanging out with you" I took a deep breath once I'd finished, looking at him expectantly.

He seemed to take all that into consideration judging by his suddenly thoughtful expression. After all, here was I as a complete beginner to all this stuff that he and Knuckles seemed so adept at. Surely he didn't expect me to continue following behind him like a starstruck fanboy, waiting for whatever new mystery he had up his non-existent sleeve? I know he'd said that he liked an audience, but there were limits to that.

"Two words," he finally spoke, his words strangely more echoed than anything else I'd heard so far in this chamber. Almost like the entire Hidden Palace was joining him in making whatever he was about to say as awe-inspiring as possible. "Master...Emerald"

Was it just me, or did a shiver just run up my spine? I had no idea why, but there was something about those words that...affected me. Like Sonic had just uttered an ancient spell or something. He seemed to notice as his smile widened slowly, lifting a finger to his mouth as his eyes glanced towards Knuckles.

"You'll know what I mean when you see it" he whispered, and then his back was to me again. He left me dumbfounded as he quickly strode over to the Echidna who was apparently quickly losing his battle with the rucksack.

"Oh for the love of...you put it in the left side pocket!" Sonic was at the Guardians side in a second, gripping a dreadlock in one gloved hand and tugging. Knuckles's face was livid as he finally lifted it out of the bag.

"I've looked in the left side pocket!" he shot back with a snarl, "And how the heck do you know where I put things?"

"You always put things in the left side pocket, Red," Sonic answered, "And when I say left, I mean your other left"

"What?" Knuckles's face was a picture of confusion, eyes squinted up at the blue hedgehog. I didn't know either what Sonic was getting at, but this was obviously an old argument between them if the weary expression on Sonic's face was anything to go by.

Gloved peach hands reached around the rucksack, slipping into a side-pocket already ravaged by the Echidna. A second later, and much to the Guardian's clear surprise, a folded piece of paper was held between hedgehog fingers.

"And by other left, I mean 'right'. As in right...side...pocket"

I chuckled as Sonic sauntered past his bewildered crimson friend, the Guardian's mouth opening and closing silently like a guppy.

"How did...how could you...?" Knuckles stammered, reaching inside himself with his big gloved hand to test for himself. It came up empty, no secret compartment apparently to be found.

Sonic lifted his hand up, wiggling his fingers for effect, "It helps when you don't wear those big boxing gloves of yours, Knux" he chuckled, starting to unfold the paper he'd retrieved, "Makes it easy to get to those hard to reach places"

Knuckles just glared at the hedgehog, flexing his gloves as he straightened up, "Yeah, well..."

"Maybe I should hold the map, hmm?" Sonic cut him off, unfolding the paper completely and holding it in both hands. I noticed it was the same map from Mystic Ruins, showing the layout of Hidden Palace in all its apparent glory. I moved for a closer look.

"So...where are we heading?" I scanned over every inch of the map, the diagram not looking any clearer then it had done before. Sonic hmmed softly as his eyes flitted rapidly from side to side, tilting the map from one side to the other.

"Jeez Knuckles, you didn't make this easy for me did you?" he muttered as the Guardian stood at his side, looking amused as he watched Sonic's reaction.

"When have I ever made things easy for you, Sonic?" he smirked, blanking me as he lay a hand round the blue ones shoulders, "Come on, you like a challenge. Tell me where you think we should be heading"

I squinted my eyes as I tried to make sense of the lines and fuzzy shapes that made up the image on the map. It reminded me of one of those ink blot tests psychiatrists like to use, but my mind was drawing a complete blank. I could easily understand Sonic's reaction.

"Oh!" he exclaimed suddenly, tapping a random spot with his finger, "You've opened up the lower chamber, I'm right aren't I?"

"Yeah," the Echidna replied, pointing at the spot as well, "Whole areas now wide open, and I haven't even started on half of it yet"

"So where's the treasure?" I asked bluntly. So much for beating round the bush, huh?

That nasty smile crossed the Guardian's lips again as he moved his finger along, drawing it over an area near the right corner of the image.

"There"

Sonic tilted his head in response, quills brushing his shoulder, "Right there, huh?"

"Right there" Knuckles nodded.

I jumped back reflexively as Sonic snapped the map shut, paper crinkling as he folded it over several times before popping it into his quills.

"Well then," his smile was back in force, his eyes wild with excitement.

"Well then..." The Guardian chipped in, lowering the brow of his hat.

I jumped in on the act, "Treasure hunt on?" I looked expectantly at the pair in turn.

Emerald hedgehog eyes burned brightly, "Oh yes!"

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><p><strong>Next time in Sonic: Year One- The hunt is on! Sonic, Tails and Knuckles venture deep within Hidden Palace, but what mysteries are they about to uncover? And will Red and Blue collide once more as the past catches up with them both? Find out next time!<br>**

**Don't forget to review guys! Joe.**


	6. Tomb Raiders

Greetings yall! Joe Stalin here, bringing you the long delayed Part 6 of **'The Guardian'**! Just a short one this time but it's to make up for my ghastly lateness at updating. So sorry for the long delay guys, I intend to make more regular updates from now on. Thanks so much for your patience.

Sonic, Tails and Knuckles delve deep underground to discover the secrets of Hidden Palace! New mysteries will be uncovered and a haunting legacy of the Floating Island exposed!

**Note: **To get the full story behind this new series, please read '**_The Fox, The Gem and The Hedgehog_**' and _**'New Surroundings'**_ first.

****Disclaimer:** I do not, nor indeed will I ever, own Sonic or any other SEGA characters.**

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><p><strong>Sonic: Year One<strong>

**The Guardian**

**Tomb Raiders **

My name is Tails.

I used to be known as Miles Prower; con-artist, thief, swindler extraordinaire. Look up the word 'rogue' in the dictionary and you would have found my picture beside it.

I was a high-tech thief, I had tools at my disposal that would have made international hackers green with envy. I could rewire the most sophisticated security network in less than three minutes, black out an entire complex in just over five and wipe any data records bank in exactly ten. I could make any computer system bend to my will in less time than it took most people to finish shaving.

Even with all that at my disposal, even at the height of my conniving escapades...Hidden Palace would have knocked me for six.

We had left the chamber we'd all arrived in a long way behind, The Guardian leading the way as we journeyed deeper into the dark labyrinth that was the Palace. I had wondered why we'd not simply used the Warp Ring to take us directly to...well, wherever it was we were heading to, but Knuckles had been ready with a quick answer.

"Needs a period to recharge after a warp, otherwise you run the risk of...only having half of you appear on the other side"

The dark little smirk he'd flashed me had been enough to put me off asking any more questions, at least out-loud.

"Besides," he continued "Three pairs of eyes are better than one. You might spot something I missed along the way"

My fingers had started all a-twitching at that, thoughts of treasure slightly diminishing any trepidation I'd previously had. Finders-keepers and all that jazz...

My eyesight had steadily grown accustomed to the inky blackness, less so the cold as I shivered slightly, my fur not quite enough to hold back the creeping chill. Every so often I had to quickly duck my head, thick cobwebs blocking our way which my two companions seemed to avoid with the barest of efforts. I wasn't so lucky, my fur sticky and knotted as I became entangled despite my best efforts, a particularly large web dangling from my ear like some macabre fashion statement. I didn't even want to think about the size of the spider that had spun it.

Combined with the thick dust clogging my nasal passages and coating my shoes and gloves, my cobweb accessories were doing wonders for my disheveled appearance the further we progressed.

I stayed close to Sonic as Knuckles walked some distance ahead, the thin beam from the echidna's torch piercing the darkness beyond. I was eager to keep my distance from the highly strung Guardian as much as possible, just to be on the safe side. I kept my arms held out slightly, not trusting my minimal eyesight as my footsteps echoed loudly, the stone slabs underfoot cracked and coated in the dust of untold ages passed. The slightest hint of green shone back at me through the grime, almost marble-like beneath the dust and cobwebs. I noted with concern that if I did trip or stumble, Sonic's sharp blue spines were right in front of me, the resulting images running graphically through my mind . I kept that 'lovely' thought at bay as best I could as we continued our slow trek.

Knuckles's torch shone across the walls on either side, the stonework almost glistening as the light hit it, a faded blue that I'm sure must have been luxurious at some point long ago. Despite the map still being in Sonic's possession, the Echidna was apparently having no difficulty navigating us through the dark, the route no doubt imprinted on his mind judging by the ease of his movements.

Every crack in the floor was easily stepped over and bypassed by the red one, his boot-falls heavy and confident as he kept up his pace, striding ahead of us without so much as a look back in our direction. Not that I minded too much, heck the more distance he kept the better as far as I was concerned, but he had the only torch and I had no intention of being left in the dark.

Sonic's movements weren't as confident, a scuffing sound perking my ears up every now and again as the cobalt hedgehog tried to match The Guardians pace, trying his best to hide the occasional near stumble as his foot snagged on a hidden crack or groove. It was clear to me that, whilst nowhere near as new to this whole thing as I was, Sonic wasn't as used to the layout of this place as he'd first led me to believe. I doubted he was going to admit to that any time soon however, his ego wouldn't have permitted it.

At least he'd had the good sense to remove his shades, if he was struggling with his footing now I could only imagine how much worse it would have been whilst wearing sunglasses. The map he'd taken from Knuckles was tucked away somewhere in the hidden depths of his quills, eyes straight ahead as he kept Knuckles in his line of sight. He hadn't said a word in a while, his earlier enthusiasm apparently fading the further we'd traveled with no end in sight. Then again, it was probably difficult to come up with new things to say when walking through the same dark unfamiliar hallways.

I tried to strike up a conversation as I grew bored of the silence, not used to having Sonic be so quiet. Plus, with any luck, I'd find out more about this so-called 'Master Emerald' that he had dangled in front of me like a carrot.

"So...I take it this place is quite...old, yeah?"

Okay, that was a dumb question.

Sonic didn't seem to mind however as he turned his head to look back at me, a small smile on his face as he took in my cobwebbed dishevelment "You're right on the money there, buddy"

My foot caught on another crack in the floor, Sonic's arm coming up to steady me as I stumbled to his side, doing my best to keep walking and hoping he'd ignore my prat-falling.

"How old exactly?" I asked, matching his pace shoulder to shoulder.

He pursed his lips in thought, hands clasping behind his back "Hmmm, good question. I'd say, roughly..."

"Six thousand, three hundred and ten years," a sudden voice drew our joint attention. Knuckles didn't even bother looking at us as he answered my question without breaking stride, "Give or take a year or so"

Even Sonic seemed surprised at the Echidna's detailed response, eyes wide and a baffled expression on his face "Wow Knux, you've sure done your research" he chuckled.

Knuckles's pace slowed slightly as we came to a turn in the hallway, the path descending down before us into the dark.

"I've been reading Dad's books...it's his research"

I noticed a strange look cross Sonic's eyes at Knuckles' response, his smile fading and a sombre expression replacing it "Yeah, I...I guess it would be"

My look of puzzlement went unnoticed as The Guardian resumed his walking, torch held out in front of him "Come on, not far now"

Sonic's silence fell once again as we followed the red one down into the cavern, watching my step as the darkness grew thicker.

I scrunched my eyes suddenly as another cobweb loomed out of the darkness, planting itself neatly across my face and digging its sticky tendrils deep. I grunted sharply and tore at it with my fingers, my gloves bearing the brunt as web and traces of fur came away in my hands.

"Damn it" I snarled, coming to a halt and struggling not to stagger as I continued to pull the sticky residue off my face, my other hand groping blindly for something to lean against as I wiped my face clean.

My foot struck against something solid, the dull sound of wood echoing through the cavern as I opened my eyes and looked down.

Sonic's voice caused my ears to prick up as his footsteps ceased "You okay, Tails?"

I forced back a sneeze as I nodded my head, flicking the last strands of web from my glove as I kept my gaze on the floor "Yeah, yeah I'm...fine"

My face smarted slightly from where I'd tugged at the fur too hard, but my attention wasn't on that for the moment. It was focused entirely on the half hidden object on the floor, a heavy layer of dust and broken masonry coating it with only a corner poking out. In the dim light I had to strain my eyes to make out the details, my neck craning downwards to take in the full picture.

It looked like a painting, dust and grime caked across it. A heavy wooden frame held it together, the wood looking surprisingly well preserved despite it's no doubt extraordinary age. I lent down and gripped the nearest corner, pulling it out some as the layers of dust shifted, small clouds wafting upwards as I lifted it up. It was surprising heavy as I struggled not to drop it, my other hand coming down to grip it as more dust slid off, revealing more of the image hidden underneath.

I leaned it up against the wall, my paw brushing across its surface as I knelt down and attempted to catch a glimpse of what could potentially have been a work of art. My busy little fingers were soon slick with grime, my white gloves no longer white by the time I'd finished, staring at the painting now revealed in all its glory.

The colours were extremely vivid and unmarred by age or damage. A single figure dominated the painting, my eyes squinting to make it out as I remained crouched down before it.

I felt Sonic's presence at my shoulder as I continued to stare, a low whistle escaping his throat as he took it in.

"Hey Knux, bring your torch over here. Take a look, looks like something you missed"

The Echidna's footsteps stopped as Sonic called out to him, growing louder as he strode back towards us, the light from his torch bathing us in white.

"What is it?" he grunted, lifting the torch to Sonic's face, no doubt blinding the hedgehog as a result.

"Well, if you'll get that thing out of my face," Sonic gripped the torch and swung it down to my level, The Guardian's elbow on my shoulder. "What do you make of this?"

In the torchlight the image was much clearer. A lone Echidna stared back at us, a warrior judging by the impressive looking spear gripped tightly in both fists. His fur was the same crimson shade as Knuckles', his facefur much whiter and bushier giving him an almost feral appearance. Judging by the outfit he was wearing, this guy had been dead for a good few centuries at least.

"Pachacamac..." Knuckles whispered, his voice low in his throat as he drew his torch across the image, my shoulder bearing the brunt as he dug his elbow deeper.

Sonic raised an eyebrow as we both looked back at the echidna, The Guardians eyes unblinking as he kept staring at the painted figure.

"Come again, Knux?" Sonic asked the same question that was running through my head at that moment, pointing at the portrait whilst keeping his eyes on the red one. "Couldn't quite hear that. You know who that guy is?"

The Guardian nodded slowly as his eyes narrowed, violet pupils darkening slightly "Oh yeah, I know who he is"

"Who is he?" I asked, the first words I'd spoken to the echidna ever since we'd started our trek.

"Pachacamac," Knuckles growled, the glow from his torch directly on the painted figures face. "The Bringer of Chaos"

I saw Sonic stiffen out of the corner of my eye, The Guardian's response clearly hitting a nerve as his emerald eyes widened in apparent recognition.

"So he's the one who..." the blue hedgehog didn't get the chance to finish his statement.

"Yes," Knuckles cut him off, leaning past my shoulder and jabbing at the picture with his fist "He's got a lot to answer for"

If it were possible, question marks would have been hovering over my head as I tried to take in the half-comments and half-answers both of them had uttered in the space of a few seconds. I cast an expectant eye up in Sonic's direction, hoping he'd be able to shed some light for my benefit despite his track-record. I was disappointed as Sonic merely folded his arms, his lips pursed and thoughtful. So much for vain hope...

"Err..." I spoke up, both of them looking at me as I gestured at the portrait in the hopes of gleaming an answer for myself. "Who exactly is he?"

I didn't get a response for several seconds, and when the silence was finally broken I was met with more disappointment.

"Ancient history" Knuckles grunted dismissively, lifting himself up and swinging his torch away from the painting. I rubbed my shoulder as the echidna renewed his stride back into the darkness beyond, his voice echoing back. "Come on, we're wasting time"

I straightened back up, my legs protesting after being crouched for so long, my eyes immediately turning to Sonic as we were left behind in the semi-darkness.

"What was that about?" I asked, the hedgehogs emerald eyes looking back at me in the dim light.

Sonic seemed to falter in his answer, pursing his lips as his gaze kept shifting back towards the direction Knuckles had finished. His gaze finally slid back to me as he took in my no doubt puzzled beyond belief expression.

Old memories bud...bad ones"

His hand graced my shoulders as he resumed his stride, taking me along with him as we followed The Guardian into the dark, the hedgehogs words echoing against the stone.

I'll explain along the way"

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><p><strong>NEXT TIME: Treasure is what they seek, and treasure is what they'll get. But are our heroes ready to find out just what final secrets Hidden Palace has to reveal? <strong>

**Tune in next time guys! Joe.**


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